Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon Act 30 Review

 

The Sailor Senshi react in shock at the presence of the new Sailor Senshi, with Rei commenting in particular shock that she can't sense anything from them, another reference to how imposing and otherworldly the Outer Senshi seem to the Guardian Senshi. Chibi-Moon comments that the mirror Neptune is holding is a Talisman, recalling to her previous conversation with Michiru

After hearing from Rei that the Guardians have heard in their dreams that they need to collect the talismans to prevent the destruction, Sailors Uranus and Neptune are surprised that the Guardians can also sense it, the seemingly inevitable end-times that looms around them. Mars tries to ask them to give the information they know but Uranus just replies they have no intention of fighting alongside the Guardians and that she never said they were allies. Much like the first arc, Naoko is trying to set up three different sides here with an ambiguous anti-heroic group like she did with Mamoru, who said a very similar line in Act 4, and notably this if the fourth act of the arc. In this case however Mamoru said that because he had very limited knowledge on what was going on, and was himself unsure if he was allies with the senshi. The Outers in contrast have more information, but a specific reason they don't want too. 

Neptune, wanting the two to make a getaway begins before the normal civilians fully recover and come back to awareness, begins playing her violin creating an enchanted music that causes immense pain in the Guardians. Rei and Mamoru in pain wonder if these two are the ones who will bring the world to ruin themselves and Uranus attacks the Senshi with her world shaking technique knowing them all out.

On the one hand, I think it's a really cool sequence showing the power and threat of the Outers, how intimidating and strange their goals are for our heroes. On the other hand, looking back at it, I'm not exactly sure why Uranus did this. I feel like if the Guardians continued to try and stop them even as their heads were hurting from the pain, and Uranus had given some kind of cool anti-hero line like "Stay out of our way, this is for your own good" before attacking, that would have made it make a little more sense. On the other other hand, I get trying to get the Outers as mysterious as possible at this point.

Usagi wakes up from the attack in a different place, everyone else already awake. Luna, having finally seen the new soldiers says she knows who they are from back during the Silver Millennium. Luna explains that the Uranus and Neptune are like Sailor Pluto, soldiers of legend protecting the Silver Millennium from afar. She continues that the fact they have been reincarnated speaks to a coming crisis. The Senshi are confused why the two attacked them with Usagi refuses to believe that Uranus and Neptune are enemies, not allies. However Minako and Makoto shoot that down quickly with Makoto quipping that attacking them is one hell of a way to say "Hello", and Minako as the leader saying they will need to fight them if they attack again. Chibiusa, ever her mother's daughter, tells Mamoru they gave her a helicopter ride the other day, that she doesn't think they wanted to fight

I really like how understandable both sides' positions are here. I intuitively understand Usagi (and Chibiusa's) reluctance to believe Uranus and Neptune are enemies, having made the closest connections with them. On the other hand, they DID attack them, and given the Guardian Senshi' role of protecting the princess, their animosity towards them is also understandable.

That night Mamoru watches the bunnies sleeping, adorably holding the sleeping Usagi's hand as he considers what the others plan is. However in his dreams he sees an apocalyptic vision, a vision of the city devastated and a mysterious figure above it all, standing in the dark, but wreathed in the light. Mamoru asks the figure far away if it is the goddess of destruction before wakening

I presume the apocalyptic and messianic themes are pretty clear and need no explanation. ;)

Usagi and Mamoru awaken at the same time, still holding hands. Due presumably to Mamoru's psychometry which allowed him to see visions from Chibiusa's mind when they came into contact in the second arc, the two had the same dream. Meanwhile Rei in her meditation contemplates Neptune's Mirror, the talisman, and the potential location of the other two talismans. 

We cut to Usagi sitting on a bench waiting for Mamoru on a park bench, when some hands playfully cover her eyes from behind, causing her to say "Mamoru excitedly." However it turns out to have been Haruka, messing with her, telling the bunny that if she keeps sitting alongside Haruka's route home, she might get eaten up which is...pretty DIRECT flirting to say the least. Once again we see Haruka and Mamoru paralleled and contrasted. Usagi thinks Haruka is Mamoru initially, but while Mamoru and Haruka both act "masculine", they are still a study in contrast, with Mamoru acting stoic, composed but emotionally connecting with Usagi, showing her his vulnerability. Conversely Haruka acts directly flirtatious and cocky, yet emotionally aloof refusing to show vulnerability.

Usagi finally contrasts Haruka on being the same as Sailor Uranus on account of them both smelling of the wind.

This is a bit of an odd way for Usagi to make the connection given how many other points of similarity there are as well as the fact that as far as I can tell....wind doesn't really have a scent.

Usagi asks why Haruka and Michiru won't talk to the Guardians, asking aren't they allies. Haruka admits wishing to be able to keep meeting Usagi like this, in ignorance, wanting to preserve the fun flirtatious back-and-forth for longer. Usagi directly asks if Haruka is a man or a woman, and Haruka says probably the most famous quote of Haruka's: "Man, Woman, why should something like that matter?"

It's hard to overstate how unusual this was in 1990s Manga. Yuri in manga had already existed for two decades, but they were, at best, a niche market. This was the most popular Magical Girl Manga, the highest-selling Shojo manga of all time, a global phenomena with a prominent character who was a gender nonconforming lesbian living like a man in a supportive positively portrayed lesbian relationship who directly flirts with the heroine and kisses her, the two being portrayed as heroes in their own right who don't have a tragic ending. It's to the point that Sailor Moon has been said to have created the yuri community and genre in the modern context. 

I love the way this moment indirectly shows Usagi and Haruka's personalities. Haruka is airy to an extreme, she wants to be free, free from expectations and free from her doomed fate, just as she keeps aloof. She asks Usagi if being a man or a woman should really matter, because she just wants to be herself, which makes it especially notable how in the manga she freely switches from masculine to feminine presentation and back. On the other hand as one of her relatable flaws, Usagi doesn't like greys and ambiguity. Constantly she is shown to worry or fret when something is unclear. She wants to know Haruka's gender, as a parallel to how she wants to know if Haruka is really an ally or not. She wants to understand Haruka, to get close to her, just as Haruka wants to remain detached, yet at the same time it's Haruka that advances flirtatiously on Usagi, as though she can't resist playing with the emotionally reacting bunny. Both are compelling here, and understandable in their desires. Even if you don't feel at odds with the gender norms of your culture the way Haruka does, or are the black-and-white thinking type like Usagi, it's almost archetypal how they represent the conflicting desires we have in interacting with each other to want to know and classify others and our desires to be able to act freely, unbound by classification from others. 

Mamoru arrives, yelling "Usagi" as he sees Haruka so close to Usagi. Haruka quickly leaves and Usagi comforts Usagi, asking what "he" did to her. Usagi responds that nothing happened but cries all the same, not understanding why she feels so upset.

This is a really sweet, compelling part to me. Mamoru is supportive of Usagi, not suspecting her for a second and instead holding her. I don't know if it's intentional, but the way Mamoru off-handedly refers to Haruka as "he" also reflects Mamoru's own projections onto Haruka, as far as he knows, another man coming on to his girlfriend and making her cry, which will become relevant later.

We cut to Chibiusa working on an art project of some crudely formed container, looking for Mamoru to help her with it. After a cute bit where Makoto comments on Chibiusa's cutesy form of address for Mamoru, the Guardian Senshi ask Chibiusa what her project is. She tells them it's supposed to be the "Holy Grail." Diana and Chibiusa, though they admit they don't know a lot about it, tell them the Holy Grail was an item Neo-Queen Serenity used when she was younger, which in times of crisis would fill with a mysterious power, giving her power to save all the people, though she keeps it in a private room they weren't supposed to go in. 

Chibiusa and Diana do admit they would sometime sneak into Neo-Queen Serenity's room, lay on her fluffy white bed and look at all the beautiful things the queen had, which is how she knows what it looks like. Thinking about it, Chibiusa gets a little teary-eyed and Makoto asks if she is homesick. Chibiusa replies that she is but she promised she'd become a full-fledged Sailor Senshi. It's a really cute scene.

Chibiusa scampers off to Mamoru's place to ask for help with her project. We cut to Mamoru's place and there's an awkwardness in the air, as the two drink coffee together silently. Usagi wonders if Mamoru is thinking that she had something with Haruka but before just as she goes to clear the air, Chibiusa shows up. 

Chibiusa demonstrates both an incredible emotional intelligence and also emotional blindness as quickly asks if the two of them are fighting, questioning if Usagi cheated on Mamoru. Of course it's not that the case that they are fighting per se, nor is it the case that Usagi cheated on Mamoru, something both Usagi and Mamoru know is true rationally, but boy if Chibiusa didn't get close to the heart of the matter quickly. 

Chibiusa brings up the reason she came, she needs help with her homework. This reminds Usagi of her homework assignments but before she can rush off, Chibiusa grabs her sleeve and says she needs Usagi's help too. Usagi is not the dexterous sort so you might wight wonder at this odd protestation, though it shall be revealed shortly. 

Chibiusa, in true child fashion, pushes her homework on her parents, despite them knowing nothing of the subject, and having to figure it out. As they work Mamoru explains the idea behind the Holy Grail, that it purifies you and gives you strength.

It's a bit of a weird description since apparently it's just a thing everyone uses for Holy Communion in this universe, or Mamoru is mistaken on what Chibiusa means. Literally the next panel he's looking it up in the encyclopedia so take it with a grain of salt. 

Mamoru and Usagi work on the Holy Grail together, with Mamoru shaping it and Usagi running out to get them beads and colored stones to put on it. When she returns she sees Mamoru working on the Holy Grail with Chibiusa, focusing despite his lack of knowledge to help their daughter and gets a look of affection. Chibiusa, tired from the effort, falls asleep. Usagi and Mamoru look at their sleeping daughter with parental love, only to realize they've unconsciously gotten very close to each other again.

This scene is fantastic! Just on the surface, it's absolutely adorable as a starting point. But I love what it says about relationships in general and about Usagi and Mamoru in particular. Chibiusa as their daughter represents the future in general, and Usagi and Mamoru's future together in particular. It's in their joint working for that future's betterment that their hearts come into alignment. It's when they stop thinking about themselves and their own insecurities, but instead on their union in general represented in Chibiusa that they as individuals are brought together. I love it because that really is what it's like, and it's magical. 

The art on the second page I adore, it's top tier visual storytelling for the entire manga. Usagi and Mamoru see Chibiusa asleep and both go into the same cartoonish surprised face, showing their joint surprise. It then got into a little more detailed picture of Usagi and Mamoru. Mamoru is showing a more paternal expression of affection and Usagi is making a more maternal expression of affection, as the two are briefly taking on the spirit of their parental roles, only to blush in embarrassment realizing it, and how close they've become reverting to more caricatured pictures. This really shows Naoko's skill as an art, so sweetly showing the emotions running through them as they feel parental love swell through them, and then embarrassedly realize they've already moved past their conflict without even saying anything and returned to their normal. It's so relatable, it's so compelling, it's deep and adorable. It's something magical and almost otherworldly yet I understand instantly. 

Usagi finally confesses her feelings, apologizing to Mamoru that she was hanging around Haruka. But Mamoru knows that's not something to apologize for and responds that he trusts her. The two both admit that they were feeling jealous; Usagi of Michiru and Mamoru of Haruka. I don't know how Naoko makes these two such a beautifully complementary couple, yet also have such a unity in their hearts but it's fantastic. Mamoru comments that there is a sadness in Haruka and Michiru that they are hiding, and Usagi agrees, saying she started crying earlier because she picked up Haruka's secret despair. Usagi and Mamoru reconcile and enter a passionate romantic moment. In an adorable twist, Chibiusa is shown to still be aware as she comments to Diana, implying that helping her future parents relationship was her plan

We cut to the next day as the Senshi at Azabu-Juuban; Usagi, Ami, and Makoto go over their test scores. Ami got perfect test scores and suggests they come with her to the Mugen Academy cram school, their students getting the highest scores nationally. Lest you think Ami has learned absolutely nothing from the Crystal Seminar debacle in Act 2, Ami subtly reveals her real reason for wanting to go: it's being led by an Mugen Academy student, Yui Bidou, who she is suspicious off. As the Senshi are taking tests for which high school they will go to, Ami has a prime opportunity to infiltrate Mugen Academy. 

Ami, genius that she is, gets a perfect mark on the Mugen Academy entrance exam, and is put in for qualification for free scholarship to Mugen. With that she is introduced to Yui, who introduces herself as the Genius Girl of Mugen, obviously and immediately paralleling her to Ami.

As they speak, Yui subtly alludes the Academy's true nature with statements. Later, the other Senshi are shocked and tell Ami that she can't go, that it's too risky and likely a trap for the Senshi. Ami responds that despite knowing it's clearly a trap for the Senshi, she's going to do it anyway so she can explore the sections Usagi missed when she disguised her as a Mugen student earlier. Minako is particularly worried for Ami, though Ami promises her that she'll be in touch. I bring it up in particular because in pretty much all versions of Sailor Moon Ami and Minako are the two guardians who interact least, and it's cute seeing Minako's concern for Ami. 

Ami goes to the Academy, noting outside that rainclouds almost seem to be emanating from the building. She tours the facility, entering the science room where Yui shows an experiment she made, a replica of a galaxy known as the "Tau Nebula."

It's a very impressive display of Yui's scientific capabilities! it also is a cool way to introduce the land the new enemies originate from, the Tau Nebula. 

Ami comments that she feels like she's being sucked into the darkness while Yui continues her lecture about Mugen Academy and than politely excusing herself. Ami wonders if it's some kind of hologram and wonders that she's never heard of the Tau Nebula......as though Ami knows every single galaxy humanity has discovered. You know given it's Miss "I read a book while waiting for you to show up", I could believe it.

Meanwhile Ami is being spied on by Kaorinite in her divining pool, commenting that she sense the energy of the stars in her divining pool, speculating that Ami is one of the Sailor Sensih. Yui comes in, revealing herself to be the witch Viluy, level 202, and asking Kaorinite to leave capturing the Sailor Senshi's hoste to her. Kaorinite agrees, commenting that a Sailor Senshi's hoste would give much energy to the master indeed. Meanwhile Ami notices she's being spied on by a security camera, and throws a pen through it, running off into the restricted area. Haruka and Michiru in the hallways see her, and are shocked.

Given her usual temperament it's pretty cool seeing Ami being all action-y like this. 

Ami enters into the restricted region, finding the failed daimons locked up in cages. However before she can celebrate her discovery, Viluy shows up and has brainwashed students grab Ami. Haruka and Michiru try to save Ami, but Viluy simply has the students grab them as well. It's a very fast sequence, even for this manga.

Viluy reveals her plan, that she is using nanobots to remove the Hostes from people. She made nanobots to steal souls! She then offers the souls to Pharaoh 90 and has daimon infest the empty hosts. However Ami, Haruka, and Michiru reveal they were only pretending to be held by the normal students, easily breaking out of their grasp. Ami sends a message on her communicator to the others and jumps out the window to the pool. In a really cool display, she transforms in midair so she lands in the pool as Sailor Mercury. Haruka and Michiru escape at the same time, commenting their Mugen Academy covers are blown, annoyed that the Guardian Senshi caused them to lose their cover. 

Viluy chases after Sailor Mercury, the two confronting each other. Sailor Mercury tries to use Mercury Aqua Mirage on Viluy but Viluy withstands the attack and counterattacks with by sending nanobots at Sailor Mercury to paralyze her, destroy her body and steal her soul. Sailor Mercury exclaims she can't move, and Viluy taunts that she will be able to procure a beautiful hoste for the master.

The other Guardians show up. Viluy tries to send some daimon at them, though Sailor Moon calls down power from Neo-Queen Serenity again to destroy them. Because she can however, Haruka and Michiru return, transforming into Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. Uranus summons the second talisman, the Space Sword and uses an attack technique called "Space Sword Blaster" to destroy Viluy.

I do find it surprising that Sailor Uranus would use the Space Sword here. She should be stronger than Viluy at this point, based on things we see later and she's giving away that she has one of the Talismans to the guardians. The only way I think it would make sense, and this is a sort of sweet hidden thing if you believe it, is she's worried the nanobots will seriously hurt or kill Mercury and so wants to kill Viluy as fast as possible regardless of the consequences, and given Haruka's impulsive headstrong nature I could easily see that.

Uranus and Neptune escape as the Guardian Senshi wonder at them having a second talisman. The act concludes with a little final scene of just two pages. At the nearby KO University science deparment Motoki and Reika are chatting about mundane stuff when a new student introduces herself as helping in their science department. This student is "Setsuna Meiou", or in other words

Sailor Pluto is back! .....so what happened to she will sleep peacefully forever in the Palace, Neo-Queen Serenity?

Act 30 is a really interesting act to talk about because I think it's a great act, but I also am more able than normal to see why someone might like it a lot less than me, and it's really for the same reason. A large amount of this act isn't really about Sailor Senshi stuff, the Ami vs Viluy storyline only really takes up a third of the act. Most of the act is about the relationship between Usagi and Mamoru and the conclusion to the character arcs of their feelings towards Haruka and Michiru. Broadly speaking I imagine if you're particularly invested in Usagi and Mamoru's relationship you will like this act more relative to other acts, and if you read Sailor Moon for especially the parts where they are battling villains, this act might feel a bit more boring or slow.

I absolutely adore what Naoko does with Usagi and Mamoru's relationship this chapter. I think it's a really good message to give in that it's showing how a positive supportive relationship develops past the couples' insecurities, I feel like it speaks a lot to their characters, it ties really nicely into the overall plot with Usagi's desire to be reconciled with the Outer Senshi even as they try to remain distant, and is just really cute. Act 30 is in a way a turning point for the arc, in that it resolves the characters arcs of Usagi and Mamoru for the first four acts of the arc, and sets up two plot elements of the arc, the Holy Grail and Setsuna Meiou, both of which will be instrumental in the arc's development. It also gives a bit more information on the enemies and where they come from.

I also really like the development between Usagi and Haruka. You can really easily see why Haruka and Michiru became such an immediately influential force bringing about modern yuri, and it tests some of Usagi's biggest character traits; her desire to know the true selves of people, her belief that they can get along as friends and allies, her need to see things in unambiguous terms; all elements of her idealism and childishness that will be put up against Haruka's world of ambiguities, moral greys, maturity and cynicism. It's easy to say one of them is right and one of them is wrong, particular if your tendency is, like Usagi, towards the unambiguous black and white, but there's fair reason to feel and think in either way. One of, if not the biggest themes, this arc is the divide between a youthful idealism and a mature cynicism, and as Naoko often does with her themes that I absolutely love about her writing, she provides a story that is a bit more nuanced a thought on that theme. 

The Ami vs Viluy part is alright. It has a lot of spectacle with the soul-stealing nanobots and the holographic projections of galaxies and Ami jumping out a window and transforming in midair. It's cool to see Ami be a bit more action-y than usual and I think Minako's concern for her was sweet. That said parts of it do feel a little bit quick. I'd say it's because so much of the act is dominated by the Usagi x Mamoru plotline, but honestly Ami and Viluy had more page length than either Rei/Eudial or Minako/Mimete and while Viluy comes with more personality than the former villains I think Naoko may have tried to do a little bit too much this act, particularly near the end. Viluy's plot here is more complicated than Eudial's or Mimete's, and Naoko tried to have that, and Ami's infiltration plotline, and the Outer Senshi having a bigger plotline in not that much more space. 

Bringing back Pluto as Setsuna could be a bit controversial, as I can understand why people don't like characters being brought back and risk cheapening their tragic death scenes. I understand that concern but I really like Sailor Pluto and I guess I feel that resurrection by the Silver Crystal has been well established since the first arc. Personally I'm glad she returns, though I understand if differing opinions on that one.

Act 30 in general has a lot of things to talk about. It's an act that I love but also can very well see why someone might not. Broadly speaking I think adored the MamoUsa stuff, I adored the development with Haruka and am glad for it's contribution to yuri, I don't mind Setsuna being brought back, and while the rest feels a bit rushed, I feel like that's more due to Naoko being a bit ambigious this chapter than poor space allotting from the other elements, plus I still like it pretty well. 

Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon Act 29 Review

 

In the immediate aftermath of the Eudial fight, the Senshi notice one of the new Sailor Senshi observing them from afar. Sailor Moon tries to run after her but she runs like the wind and escapes Usagi's field of vision.

She's wind-themed....I wonder who she could POSSIBLY be. 

The Sailor Senshi pops out from a tree, commending Sailor Moon for being able to even somewhat keep pace with her, calling it unexpected. She calls her Odango, telling Sailor Moon that she told her to stay out of her way. Afterall, it'd be dangerous for the two of them to fight. She then kisses Usagi

There's a lot you could say about this act, from both an in-universe sense of what it means for their relationships to what it means from a meta-perspective on the emergence of yuri in mainstream manga, but to truly consider the meaning of the scene requires information from later in the arc, so for now I will be say it's a a shocking moment Naoko uses to grip her readers with confusion at the moral alignment of the new Sailor Senshi. Perhaps she is neither good nor evil, but free-spirited as the wind.

The wind Senshi escapes just as the others are getting there. They ask Usagi for information. Usagi tells them that the wind Senshi told her that they should stay out of her way, deliberately leaving out that the two kissed. Usagi says it was dark so she couldn't see her face clearly, though the words and art leave it ambiguous if she's telling the truth. Ami wonders if the new Senshi have a different mission to them, and Minako says they don't even know if they're really Sailor Senshi. Oh come on Minako. What villains would Fake Sailor Senshi be?

Minako says they must track them down to discover their true identity. Usagi contemplates how Haruka and the new Sailor Senshi looks alike, wondering if it is possible that the two could be the same or if it's all in her head because of their similar flirtatious attitudes to her. 

In a dream Usagi sees Haruka who comes over to her dressed as a man, kissing her, before appearing as a woman and becoming the Sailor Senshi. This is fascinating to consider from numerous perspectives. It's as though Usagi is equating to seeing Haruka as a woman as coming to know who she really is, possibly because they would then share the same gender. While the male Haruka could not possibly be understood by Usagi, a female Haruka, this new Sailor Senshi would be like her, a Soldier of Love and Justice. Usagi wonders in her dream why Haruka always runs from her, a query from the heart of the sentimental Usagi on why the aloof Haruka is so hard for her to define; male or female, Sailor Senshi or not, distant or close.

Haruka in response, replies that the time soon comes where they must face the destiny. This speaks to Haruka's mindset, that she acts aloof and self-indulgent because she knows she won't soon have that luxury. I love this part because it speaks to the fundamental character paradox of putting Usagi with Haruka. Haruka is a character who is meant to be paradoxical and impossible to understand, airy and aloof, playful yet fantastically serious and devoted. Yet Usagi is the one who understands everyone, whose empathy allows her to see anyone's true self.

The dream changes. Usagi, Mamoru, and the four guardians hear a voice in their dreams telling them that the three talismans shall awaken the Goddess of Destruction. They awaken in a start with Rei calling it a bad omen. The next morning Usagi meets up with Mamoru though embarrassed that Haruka kissed her, she is quieter and more reluctant than usual. She sees a poster for Michiru's violin concert, the beautiful ladylike talented older girl and understandably starts feeling insecure, wondering if Mamoru was pursuing her. 

Later that day Usagi has to stay late for school to retake a test, though she longs to get to the arcade and play some video games to get her mind off it. As she's walking there however she runs into Haruka again. Haruka admits wanting to see Usagi, despite Usagi's friends telling Haruka not to go near her. 

Usagi feels her heart racing and thinks it must be because of that dream she had, commenting to herself Haruka seems like both a man and a woman. Haruka tries to instigate a formal introduction since they never actually exchanged names but Usagi says she already knows both Haruka and Michiru since they are famous. Haruka says Michiru's music truly is beautiful, she makes the music come alive with her playing, and offers tickets to Usagi for the two to go hear her. Haruka asks Usagi her name which Usagi gives before wondering if Mamoru wants to know about Michiru the same way she wants to know about Haruka, though Haruka just comments that "Usagi" is a cute name and disappearing in a burst of wind.

Once again, this part is a little bit surreal taken literally, but it's meant to evoke the feelings Usagi is having, of the strange disappearing Haruka who seems so otherworldly and both flirtatiously dangerously and mysteriously distant, the same feelings the new Sailor Senshi caused. This is only further exemplified by Usagi commenting that Haruka is.... "just like the wind." More than any other arc Naoko really is trying to tie characters, particularly the Senshi, to the elements this arc. The Senshi attacks are more elemental-themed than ever, they use element-based sensory abilities, and Haruka and Michiru are constantly being compared to wind and water.

What follows is a bit of an exposition section talking about the Mugen Memorial Dome, a giant amphitheater where both Michiru and separately a performer by the name of "Mami Hanyu" will be playing. The latter is only available to students of the academy which....should be cause for alarm to the reader especially given the detail to the singer and if they recall, her looking identical to one of the witches from earlier. Minako is upset at this news, which you would think is because as the leader she was able to find out that this Mami Hanyu is sketchy and given what happened with Eudial, she might be one of the enemies.

However really Minako is just a fangirl of her that starts out spouting out how famous an idol singer she is, before she, in a humorous bit, tries to convince the others that no it's totally for recon and Sailor Senshi business and not at all her just being a fangirl. 

This act is actually a little bit of an homage to Codename: Sailor V, the prequel manga to Sailor Moon. If you know Sailor V, you know Minako is a massive idol fan, who would regularly get wrapped up in Dark Agency antics as they sent their Evil Agents out disguised as various things including 4 different sets of idol singers as well an evil singer totally unconnected to the Dark Agency. It adds an extra cute enjoyment for this act if you've read Sailor V. 

Usagi wonders if she should go to the concert. There's an amusing bit where Minako thinks Usagi is talking about Mami Hanyu's, thinking her a fellow fan, though Usagi obviously meant Michiru's. Turns out Mamoru similarly got his own two tickets for Michiru's concert, from Michiru, paralleling Haruka and Usagi. Mamoru overhears the girls talking about it, in particular Usagi saying they should go to it, which would be relevant as to his feelings later. There is an adorable funny part where Diana agrees they should go and Minako wants to take her.

Back with the villains Kaorinite is watching the prior fight on her VCR divining pool, commenting that she killed Eudial so quickly, and that with a power similar to the Taioran Crystal, Kaorinite must get Sailor Moon's power. We also see the relative levels of the Witches V with "Mimi Hanyu", really the Witch Mimete at 40, Eudial at 78, Viluy at 202, Tellu at 404, and Cyprine at 999. These levels are...kinda weird narratively. We now know Mimete's not a threat since she's weaker than Eudial. These levels are relatively arbitrary anyway. They're meant to impress with how the enemies will get stronger over the arc, but at best it's a cheap narrative trick to seem threatening. I feel like it could have been more evocative and atmospheric if they had titles instead of a crude power level system. Mimete tells Kaorinite she will make up for Eudial's failure and with her "angelic" singing voice, shall steal hoste for the Master Pharaoh 90 by using the lure of the violinist Michiru to draw victims.

Kaorinite finally reveals the Death-Busters goal, telling Mimete in, a bit of a clumsy exposition, that she must be cautious, they need this Omega Area, planning to transform it into a second Tau System, proclaiming they must not fail before Master Pharaoh's vesselization is finished.

While the exposition is somewhat clumsily added in, I do think once again Naoko is very good at alluding to the true cosmic horror occurring without directly expressing it. Master Pharaoh 90 is clearly some dark religious entity of the Death-Busters. They take souls as sacrifice, and it seeks to transform the Omega Area, a space on Earth into the "Second Tau System", also alluding to Master Pharaoh 90's vesselization. While it's not expressed what that is, the name itself gives creepy implications of the formation or capturing of a physical body the same way Metaria began to do in the first arc.

Back with the cute, Momo gives Chibiusa pictures from their day at the amusement park, the two talking about how it was so cute. Memories of that day stir thoughts in Chibiusa's mind of Hotaru, that strange sorrowful beautiful girl. Possibly just using it as an excuse to see her again, Chibiusa seeks to refer Hotaru's bandage to her.

Chibiusa quickly finds Hotaru outside Mugen Academy, who is surprised to see her. Chibiusa thanks her for healing her and lending her a bandage, causing Hotaru to adorably blush, clearly unused to the positive attention. Noting that her father and Kaori are busy in the lab, Hotaru invites Chibiusa back to her place and her room.

Back in Hotaru's room, Chibiusa notes that Hotaru's room is beautiful but sad just like her. Seeing how much black there is and Hotaru wearing all black, asks Hotaru if black is her favorite color. Hotaru responds that she likes it dark, and comments that she was in a bad accident that scarred her body, so she wears black concealing clothing to cover it up. Chibiusa, embarrassed, tries to change the subject to their family lab, but Hotaru begins to have another seizure.

Chibiusa races to Hotaru's side. The two of them are such an engaging pair to watch to the point it's a theory they may have provided some inspiration for Madoka and Homura. Chibiusa is a real "sugar, spice, and everything nice" type girl. She's a light pink themed character who, after her character development last arc, is cute and bubbly and optimism. Hotaru, on the other hand, is a black and purple themed goth character whose existence bleeds a depressing life story and bleakness. Even seeing them on the same page makes it seem like they don't belong in the same manga, yet it's that contrast that makes their friendship so beautiful. 

Chibiusa brings Hotaru the amulet at Hotaru's request. Hotaru says with eyes that look on the verge of tears that Chibiusa should go, that it's better if she deals with this alone. There's so many ways she could mean that given how clearly much she wants her only friend to be there. Perhaps she wishes to spare the younger girl the painful sight. Perhaps she's afraid her secret will be seen. Perhaps she truly believes she must face this alone. Once again, we see the overarching themes of Sailor Moon in all the arcs; the pain of isolation and the ennobling power of love.

Chibiusa, in a moment that truly I think foreshadows what this arc is all about, gets an adorable determined look on her small face, completely unwilling to just leave Hotaru to suffer alone, and takes out the Silver Crystal, it's presence actually healing the pain from Hotaru.

I love how this moment foreshadows the central conflict this arc. Even if after being told she should leave Hotaru to fate, Chibiusa is determined to help her friend. Hotaru is in surprise that the Silver Crystal could heal her pain so cleanly, and asks if it's Chibiusa's Amulet. After explaining what an amulet is, Chibiusa joyfully says that yes the Silver Crystal is her amulet, her charm that protects her before concluding that the Silver Crystal can also protect Hotaru too.

Chibiusa finally introduces herself to Hotaru, saying her name is Usagi Tsukino, though everybody calls her Chibi-usa (though she clarifies that she is, in fact, not little.) Hotaru promises to keep her secret, that she is a Sailor Senshi, before trusting Chibiusa with a secret in turn, that the daimon that escaped was an escaped thing from her father's labratory.

Hotaru says her father is strange, but he's not a bad person. It was him who saved her when she was in the accident. Chibiusa agrees to keep Hotaru's secret in turn, solidifying their friendship. Little did either of them know that on a tree branch, watching from the window, are Haruka and Michiru.

 Haruka and Michiru come in on a helicopter to offer Chibiusa a ride home. On the one hand, don't talk to strangers. On the other hand, surprise helicopter ride. As they clearly know Usagi, Chibiusa trusts them and rides with them. Haruka and Michiru press Chibiusa for details on what she spoke about with Hotaru but Chibiusa says it's a secret, before admitting they talked about amulets.

Chibiusa asks them if they have amulets protecting them, but Michiru responds that she has something even stronger, that her mirror is something called.... a talisman.

Michiru specifically says her mirror isn't something "cute" like an amulet, once again associating Haruka and Michiru with adulthood and maturity, and the things of the Guardian Senshi with youthfulness. Haruka and Michiru return Chibiusa to Usagi, asking Chibiusa not to tell Usagi about what they talked about, showing some secretiveness of the secret of the Talisman.

We cut to the day of Michiru's violin concert. Mamoru brought Chibiusa, making Usagi grumble that he didn't invite her, though as she already had tickets he had no reason too. The concert begins and once again Michiru's music is stated to be like a whirlpool or crashing waves, to evoke the ocean, that her Stratovarius was named after the ocean temple

Once again Naoko, master of subtlety with the water theming. 

Usagi notices Haruka standing off alone in the corner, acting all aloof. Meanwhile back with the Sailor V homage, Minako uses her compact to transform into a male Mugen Academy student to sneak into Mimete's idol show. 

I really love this part. I know it's a small thing but seeing the Crescent Compact from her Sailor V days and doing this like she did EVERY chapter back then is just really cool. Especially given the enemy this chapter is basically a Sailor V villain.

Mimete starts her idol performance though it becomes quickly apparent she's stealing the souls of the people at the concert, controlling their bodies and minds. She doesn't even have the good grace to encode her evil brainwashing music in backwards talk. I tell you, music cults have gone downhill. 

Minako due to her stellar protection manages to escape. Minako transforms into Sailor Venus and bursts in yelling at everyone they're being controlled, that behind Mimete's beautiful looks and voice is ugliness personified, announcing that Sailor Venus, the soldier of beauty is here. 

Meanwhile, Haruka and Michiru sense something is wrong. Michiru ends the concert quickly with the two rushing off, a message from Venus informing the others what's going on. Back at the fight Venus undoes Mimete's brainwashing with the Love-Me Chain....somehow and clashes with Mimete, without either seeming to get any advantage.

I do think this is an effective way to build the threat of the Witches V since Mimete is the weakest, while last we knew Venus was the strongest Guardian Senshi, yet neither is stronger. 

The others show up, and realizing she's outnumbered calls Kaorinite telepathically, asking for reinforcements. Kaorinite views the display as pathetic, but teleports in the daimon monsters shown earlier which Kaorinite interestingly describes as "failed daimons." Sailor Moon destroys one, but another goes to attack Chibi-Moon and Tuxedo Kamen...only to be destroyed by one of the new Sailor Senshi, using a water-based energy attack "Deep Submerge" before the other uses a wind-based energy attack "World Shaking" to destroy Mimete.

The dramatic entrance is punctuated by shots of each of the Sailor Senshi reacting with shock. Heart pounding, Sailor Moon asks who they are, and the two Outer Senshi finally introduce themselves:

So I can finally talk about Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, even though if you thought about it for half a second you could probably guess the Sailor Identity of Haruka and Michiru. You can really tell Naoko loves the Outers with how much gravitas and dignity she gives them, how much emphasis they have, to the point Haruka has her own character arc during the Mugen arc. I think both the Usagi-Haruka relationship and the Hotaru-Chibiusa relationship progress naturally this act.

With the Usagi-Haruka arc we've got all these really interesting gender idea about Usagi coming to recognize Haruka as a woman. I love how they conflict; Usagi the cowardly sentimentalist who sees everyone true nature and Haruka, the flirtatious emotionally aloof thrill-seeker who hides her true self. Usagi first thinking Haruka is a man, seeing her as being like Mamoru and in a way even competing with him, only to realize she is also a woman, a Sailor Senshi like her, is  literally and symbolically connected with Usagi coming to understand Haruka's heart.

We also have the Chibiusa-Hotaru relationship development this act and in a way are a lot simpler because while Chibiusa the sugary hopeful optimist and Hotaru the suffering poetic goth are just as opposite as Usagi and Haruka, their relationship is defined not by trying to understand each other, but a genuine friendship and adoration of each other. I love how cute the two of them are together, the way they balance each other, how much her friend Chibiusa means to Hotaru, and how determined Chibiusa gets for her new Hotaru friend. I've heard critique of the third arc that Chibiusa and Hotaru's friendship moves quick but I must disagree, I find it feels so natural and actually intersects naturally with the chapter plot.

Speaking of the plot, it was fine this act. If I had any critique of this act, is that parts were a little mechanically. The Sailor V homage was much appreciated from someone who read Sailor V, though it does kinda feel like just a repetition of the past act. Naoko does have a bit of tendency for repeating herself, including in overall arc structure, as well as some act structures usually near the start of an act. It's pretty cool to find out that Michiru had one of the Talismans the whole time, but the fact that there are three does keep it from being an obvious "Haruka must have the other then."

I do like how in this arc where Naoko is going clearly for something a bit more mature, even if she is also keeping some of her goofier comedy, this act acts as a little bit of a breather. Fittingly for a Sailor V homage, this act has some goofier shenanigans, and outside Kaorinite's foreshadowing is lacking in the darker elements of the Mugen Arc, focusing more on the drama of Haruka's flirtations towards Usagi, friendship development of Chibiusa/Hotaru, and the silliest of the Mugen Arc plans thanks to Mimete. I do think it could have maybe gone a bit further, Sailor V was a really crazy series with meta-gags and wacky plots all over, but I also think it probably could have caused whiplash going from Act 28 to that, or that to Act 30. This is a relatively light breather episode act for the Mugen Arc. 

The Powerpuff Girls Specials Ranking + Top/Bottom Ten Episodes

 

The Powerpuff Girls have 4 installments outside normal episodes including three specials and one theatrical film. To finish off this ranking marathon, here is my little ranking of these four. Because that would be kind of an anti-climactic ending, I also included a list of what is currently my top 10 and bottom episodes of the series. 

4: The Powerpuff Girls Rule!!!: It seems this special got a pretty good response, maybe the best of all four of these and I have to be honest I find that odd as I found few things good about it. I liked the pace of this special which was lightning quick, the way I liked it, and I found the idea that Mojo actually did want to save the world and was a temporarily good ruler who made the world a Utopia a potentially really interesting idea. However outside of those few good points, this special was nonsensical with plot and character points that didn't make sense and jokes that are some of the most juvenile in the series history. The plot point about the key to the word is stated in the special itself to be a dumb plot point, and sure I can stretch my disbelief for the premise, and if that was the only thing that didn't make sense, I'd be fine with it. But the characters are also off. I didn't like it that Blossom's ideal of a perfect world was a matriarchal oligarchy, and Buttercup's was a literally 1984-styled military dictatorship. The only thing I really liked in the plot/character front was Mojo's character arc, and even that is inconsistent as numerous points in the original series showed that Mojo does not think he's a misunderstood good guy, he takes violent pride in being the baddest bad guy in the entire world and would never want to save the day. Truthfully what this reminds me of, and I mean this without exaggeration, are the fan animations made back in the earlier days of the internet. It's technically better animation-wise, but in terms of content it's basically what I would expect.

3: Dance Pantsed: In contrast, Dance Pantsed was met with a harsh response, and I think is maybe a bit better than it was received. That's not to say I think it's amazing perse. The jokes are still often not really meant for adults and children alike, and are more targeted just for children, the plot/characterization are very weird, and Bubbles using ice breath, while it's not a huge error in the grand scheme, is pretty egregious in just how bizarrely a simple mistake it is to make. With that said I got a lot more out of this special. I think some of the jokes, particularly the stuff that's subtly absurdist, things you only realize the problem with if you actually put a thought into it like Buttercup working on a car in their bedroom or the Professor getting basically a 'nam Flashback from dancing, are pretty funny. The art style is obviously the thing everyone counts, and is very different. What I liked about Dance Pantsed is that it felt it had a vision and an ambition for the PPG, much more than Rule did, Rule feeling like a bad translation of the original, Pantsed wanted to do something entirely different and it was a strange take, but it had some of its own charm. It also had a really fast pace which I also appreciate.

2: Twas The Fight Before Christmas: The thing you always hear people complain about with this special is the premise, Princess switches the naughty and nice list and Santa doesn't notice. My complaint is related but a little different, I think people would be a lot more accepting of the premise if it was placed at the start of the special. As it stands this special is halfway in before the girls even start to fix Princess' Christmas Crime. If the special started with Princess switching the lists pre-emptively, acting smug that she would be on the nice list which the girls wouldn't understand, and then when they find out about the coal having Blossom suspect Princess because she was weirdly confident leading to them confronting Princess and than chase to the North Pole. I think a lot of people would accept that element a lot more because of the suspension of disbelief covering the premise of an episode. As it stands while this special does take a while to get going, the fight/chase scene in this special is one of the best, maybe THE best in the entire series and I adore it. It has a lot of the charm of original PPG that the two latter produced specials don't really have. Overall I like it pretty well though I would object to the notion that Santa has a permeant list, just conceptually. 

1: The Powerpuff Girls Movie: I really enjoy the PPG Movie. It is a really good distillation of what makes the Powerpuff Girls a good general franchise. Much like Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice, it is a combination of Pathos, Action, and Cuteness imbued with the secret ingredient of the classic superhero aesthetic. I greatly appreciate the film for being a fast-paced mixture of everyone one might want in an animated superhero movie for children; drama and wholesome cuteness, fast-paced action and slowly moody emotional bits. I also greatly appreciate it's shorter runtime at 70 minutes, telling to its efficiency. There are so many good scenes in the film, and while at times it can be maybe a bit excessive in its sadness, I think for the most part it's a very well-balanced film that is an excellent love letter for the PPG.

My Worst Ten Episodes

10: Shut the Pup Up

9: Down N Dirty

8: Roughing It Up

7: Prime Mates

6: Girls Gone Mild

5: Shotgun Wedding

4: Pee Pee Gs

3: Paste Makes Waste

2: Toast of the Town

1: Sun Scream

This list can vary somewhat based on how I'm feeling, but the number one I'm fairly confident with. Generally speaking I don't like episodes with gross elements, which are mean-spirited or are slower-moving. Gross Elements can appear in at least episode every season, though the latter two elements are mostly seasons 5 and 6 which is why I agree they are the weakest two.

My Top Ten Episodes

10: Supper Villain

9: The Powerpuff Girls' Best Rainy Day Adventure

8: Speed Demon

7: Knock It Off

6: Three Girls and a Monster

5: Mime for a Change

4: Twisted Sister

3: Equal Fights

2: All Chalked Up

1: Super Zeroes

Similar to last list, this list is prone to fluctuation with my mood, but I'm pretty confident in my favorite one. I think these episodes broadly make the best usage of the central appeal of the series; three cute little girls being powerful superheroines, as well as the strengths that come from that; fast paced action, fast paced comedy, cute elements, fun superhero elements, and wholesomeness.

I hope you have enjoyed this impromptu analysis of the Powerpuff Girls and I look forward to seeing the reboot. 

The Powerpuff Girls Season 6 Ranking and Review

 

When people talk about Seasons 5 and 6 they usually talk about them as a unit, the lesser seasons. However these seasons do feel significantly different, and truthfully I feel like it's a substantial step up from last season. 

Season 6 Ranking:

27: Sunscream: The worst episode of the series, this is the only episode of the series that's legitimately hard to sit through. The girls get badly sunburned across their entire body that hurt them as they try to fight crime. That it's, that's the whole episode. I don't know how this was expected to be appealing.

26: Prime Mates: This episode is about the worst monkey from Mojo's army in the movie, a depressed monkey named Mopey Popo, a depressed monkey that messes up Mojo's scheme repeatedly. I get he's a reference to Droopy, and I get what that humor is supposed to be but Mopey just really drags the fun out of a scene. In a way it's oddly evocative, but not evocative of something fun.

25: Roughing It Up: The Girls and Professor go camping the same spot as Fuzzy and his nephews. This episode is frustrating because there's no build-up to the ending and it's mostly Fuzzy's nephews messing with the girls with no justice. I feel like the ending where the Professor and Fuzzy put aside the difference seeing the children get along had potential if it was written in one of several different ways but as it currently stands it feels like it comes out of nowhere. 

24: Say Uncle: The PPG mistake a Sasquatch for their uncle and antics ensue. Mostly harmless. The humor is really slow paced compared to what PPG used to be but it's mostly just stock humor "antics" about the Sasquatch loving taffy and keeping across people with taffy.

23: What's the Big Idea: Mojo makes the girls big so they have to be careful not to break things as they wander around. Once again, pretty slow-paced stock humor, but it's a little bit superhero themed and feels less generic.

22: That's Not My Baby: Most of this ep are the girls taking care of a baby, and in particular focusing on a child-friendly version of the more annoying parts of taking care of a baby. It's not especially fun, though the ending twist is pretty alright.

21: The City of Frownsville: A couple of clever lines are the standout this ep, but unfortunately most of this ep are people crying over-dramatically which is not a pleasant or funny sound. I think this episode plot could have worked, if a depressed villain made others take their sadness without the crying sounds. I know this because Courage the Cowardly Dog had an episode just like that, the Tower of Dr. Zalost. Something like that would have probably worked a lot better.

20: Crazy Mixed Up Puffs: Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak Powerpuffs stronger. This is a bizarre episode about Mojo fusing the girls together and them having to learn to work together. It was still a little slow, and the girls were harsher than normal with each other for the moral, but I thought parts of it was amusing, especially the ending gag of the Narrator saying the day was saved due to and then trying to combine the girls names. 

19: A Made Up Story: This was a pretty eh 22 minute ep. It's about a make-up themed villainess putting non-removable make-up on people while making puns about it. It never really explains why she doesn't do it to Blossom and the ending is weirdly mean to Blossom for no reason. Mostly though it's just fine.

18: Night Mayor: This is a bizarre episode of the Powerpuff Girls going inside the Mayor's brain and seeing his perspective on the world where everyone has a Mayor head and the Mayor is the beloved ultra-competent leader of the city. It's basically a worse version of "I Dream of Jimmy" from Jimmy Neutron. Once again it's mostly fine with an alright twist at the end.

17: I See a Funny Cartoon in Your Future: To my understanding, this episode is a reference to Rocky and Bullwinkle. I have not seen Rocky and Bullwinkle and I don't think it was necessarily a good idea to make an entire episode referencing something kind of niche. As such I can't really talk about it on that front. I like the puns and the meta-stuff, and the episode has a very unique identity but it seemed very strange to me without context.

16: Nuthin' Special: The girls demonstrate a lot of powers trying to find Buttercup's unique power. The twist at the end about what Buttercup's power is pretty funny, and it's kinda cool seeing all kinds of random powers, but the ep is PRETTY plot-light.

15: Coupe D'Etat: Classic Evil AI story. Professor builds a fancy new car which he becomes obsessive off. Then when he tries to leave it, the car's AI takes the professor hostage. It's a little disconcerting how the Professor initially starts neglecting the girls for KARR, but it's not that big and for the most part this is a pretty normal AI story. I think the ep does well enough making one feel bad for KARR near the end as it admits it just wants to be loved for by its creator the way the girls do.

14: Octi-Gone: This is a semi-mystery ep about who "killed" Octi. Bubbles is pretty sympathetic this episode, and her trying to think of why each person might have done it is interesting enough. I do think the ending wasn't very funny and Mojo's actions this episode don't really make sense. For the most part it's a pretty good episode though.

13: West in Peaces: Basically a Powerpuff Girls episode set in the Old West. It's kind of interesting to watch, though the central plot is basically just a really standard PPG plot with a costume swap. I find that kind of aesthetic/costume swaps alright for individual episodes like this, just to speculate what it would be like, though I'm glad it was contained to only one episode as I don't think they could get many plots from this premise. 

12: Simian Says: Mojo beats up the Narrator and takes his place, using his narration powers to mess with the Girls. It's a pretty wacky premise that really fits Season 6's overall jump in meta-humor as well as uses one of the most recurring elements of the series, the Narrator, in an interesting way.

11: Little Miss Interprets: This episode does one of the most cliché plots in fiction, the characters overhearing something and getting the wrong idea. With that said, it is one of the best applications of this plot I have seen just because it has some pretty funny lines. I am glad that nobody was mad at the girls for the misunderstanding at the end, given how apologetic they were and the fact that they are only six. 

10: Neighbor Hood: Bubbles is tricked by a television show into thinking they need a donation or else the characters in the show will be gone. It's mostly teaching children about scams which I think is a really good lesson and doing it in a way that's both funny while remaining useful. The ending joke is a pretty funny meta-gag about how they're learning to not trust everything the TV says from a television cartoon.

9: Oops, I Did It Again: So yeah the concept doesn't work since the Professor HAS made things on purpose before, but given it's a psychological crisis in his head, and suspension of disbelief, I don't mind. This is basically an episode on what if the Powerpuff Girls were made the way the Professor intended them too, and parodies the typical episode conventions by showing what the Girls would be like without powers. 

8: Mizzen In Action: This is the episode with the Chemical X-powered pirates coming to the present day and fighting the girls. It's mostly just a fun little pirate adventure with a pretty fun reveal at the end involving where the secret treasure was actually buried. 

7: Custody Battle: This is the episode where HIM and Mojo engage in a contest of evil to prove they are the Rowdyruff Boys' real father. I think this is a really good episode premise, and while I would have liked the RRB to be a little more apathetic towards the twos attempt to win their favor, it's fun seeing the two of them attempt to out-compete each other, as well as the conclusion where the two look on like proud parents at how evil the RRB are.

6: Reeking Havoc: Despite the rather...gross premise and the existence of toilet humor, the episode had a lot more going on than one would expect, in particular a bizarre meta gag where Blossom says she got the giant match from where she got the giant jar in "Insect Inside, Season 1 Episode 2" which was....a bit shocking. I also thought that was a pretty funny way of beating the gas monster.

5: Live & Let Dynamo: A really underrated fight this episode as the girls fight Dynamo. Not only is the fight framed well, given Dynamo was the mecha with they battled the monster that easily beat them in Season 1, you can view this fight as the progression of their power between Season 1 and Season 6, able to hold back the Mecha that used to beat enemies much stronger than them. It's funny seeing them speculate on everyone having Dynamo and I only wish we could have seen more.

4: Aspirations: An actual sequel episode, rare in this series, and even rarer it's a sequel to two seperate episodes "Something's a Ms." and "Buttercrush". Sedusa gets the Gangreen Gang to gather mystical items to make her giant and ultra-powerful. This episode has some pretty funny lines, in particular Buttercup's lingering anger at the Gangreen Gang, and her barely contained anger at them serving Sedusa. It's also cool how the Gangreen Gang help the PPG save the day given they were always one of the less evil villains in the series while Sedusa was one of the more serious evils. 

3: Mo' Linguish: This episode's quality depends pretty much entirely on whether you like the one central joke of it was Mojo teaching everyone to speak his form of extremely extended speaking. Personally I thought it was pretty funny, though I can understand if it's not everyone's brand of humor.

2: Makes Zen to Me: An episode that could pretty easily pass for having come from earlier in the series, Buttercup has to take lessons from a martial arts master learning to be calmer and more disciplined, less prone to rage which has historically been a problem for her. The slower pace of seasons 5 and 6 works well for this atmosphere is trying to make as Buttercup has to learn patience herself. Overall this feels like one of the best Buttercup episodes in the series. This episode is usually considered one of, if not the best in Season 6 so I don't this will be very controversial.

1: The City of Nutsville: There's not very complex reasons why I liked this episode most. It's just this episode is full of cute squirrels, and the return of Powerpuff Bullet. Bubbles can't speak this ep due to an injury, and she really needs too as a horde of squirrels are rampaging across Townsville. Despite the fact that this was the perfect time for Bullet to return, if I hadn't seen it before I wouldn't have imagined she would have. Powerpuff Girls for the most part doesn't have much continuity, even though I would honestly like it too. However it feels completely warranted because Season 6 is full of references to prior parts of the series, and this feels like a pinnacle of it. This really could have been a finale to Season 6 because this episode shows the best part of Season 6 and the potential that element could have had, bringing back elements of the series in new fun ways.

Season 6 Review: 

I have to say, while it's not back up to the level of the first four seasons, Season 6 feels like a substantial improvement over Season 5. To get the negative parts out of the way first, it still feels slow at times, the characters are more mean-spirited (a trend that started in season 5 but really got bad in this season), it still has some gross-out, and it doesn't have the ambition of earlier seasons, even Season 5. But while the best Season 5 episodes are better than the best Season 6 episodes, so much of Season 5 were really flawed episodes, even some of the higher end ones were good "in spite of their flaws." Season 6 is to Season 5 what Seasons 3-4 were to Seasons 1-2, sacrificing upper end potency for consistency. Sun Scream is the obvious outlier, but most of the episodes this season were perfectly decent cartoon episodes and it was actually pretty hard to rank them. Plus this season heavily uses two types of humor both of which I really enjoy; characters being overly dramatic about mundane things, and references/parodies. Having these two made a lot of the humor particularly funny this season. On a connected note what most stands out to me about Season 6 was the amount of meta type material, not just in the humor but tons of sequel episodes, callbacks, meta episode premises. I mentioned my top want for the new PPG is that it has a little bit more continuity than the original series. Not a huge amount necessarily but if it could have the levels of callbacks and continuity of season 6 while having the overall strength of the first four seasons, that would be fantastic. I have a personal love for when any series gets large enough that it can starts getting reflective and meta about itself and I would love for a PPG series to do more of that.