Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon Act 50 Review

 

The Stars Arc begins with Usagi and Mamoru in a passionate embrace kissing under a starry sky. As they do a shooting star passes by them. Mamoru brings Usagi closer to him and asks if she made a wish. While Usagi acts playfully defensive, she says that her wish was to always be by his side. Mamoru, smiling, asks if she would like to "return home" with her with the two watching a shooting star as they leave. 

This is definitely not the more childish Usagi from the Dream Arc. Usagi here is seen passionately embracing and making out with her boyfriend, returning home with with all the implications that holds, and now speaks of her wish to always be by his side, a reference to the realization of her true dream to protect the world at Mamoru's side in the Dream Arc as opposed to the childish dream she initially thought she had of just being taken care of. 

We begin the masterful atmosphere setting of the Stars Arc. Obviously there are direct references to stars both in the visual imagery and in the dialogue. Stars have had many symbolic associations but are most often associated as a class of object, as distinct from the Sun or any other star specifically, with the idea of eternity. The stars are, from the human perspective, seemingly unchanging lights in the darkness that with their dance across the Heavens, set the standard for time we use. This arc will deal heavily with the idea of the eternal and temporal and so the stars are the perfect image to use, and one I personally connect too with well. The tone of this can be read in several ways. I love how this scene was so atmospherically set that you can read it in several lights. You can read it as romantic, as the dialogue suggests with the dim lights over the second panel and Mamoru's individual panel over the scene an allusion to the romance of the privacy and intimacy of being alone with one's lover. Yet the dim lights can be read as a ominous, a metafictional foreshadowing of the fate of our lovers, especially with how Mamoru alone is in darkness. This act means something different to one who is reading this for the first time, and one who has read it already. It also means something different to the one who has read the entire arc, especially the final act and panel of the arc, with Usagi being shown specifically in light, with her embrace being shown as alight across a backdrop of stars, with her wish of being always by his side, which connect to the themes of the arc and the imagery used on the last page of the manga.

The Outer Senshi watch the shooting stars from their abode, commenting that it seems there are meteor shows every day, foreshadowing more directly the plot. We cut to a picture of a galaxy, indicating the vast cosmic distance the following image is meant to be from. A woman with long flowing hair and a long flowing dress looks into a crystal ball watching Usagi and Mamoru's embrace at the climax of the last arc, commenting on the beauty of the Silver and Golden Crystals. She proclaims that soon their glittering brilliance shall belong to her, fitting for her who stands victorious above the galaxy, that very galaxy reflecting in her eye speaking to her cosmic ambitions. 

Thus we are introduced to Galaxia. Galaxia is only around for 10 acts of a 60 act manga, yet is my favorite villain across fiction. I'll get more into why as I get into this arc but broadly the three reasons I like a villain are them being threatening (the degree they push the protagonist), entertaining (the amount they steal the show when they are on screen), and compelling (if they feel believable, to what extent I can understand their heart.) Galaxia isn't just good at all three, isn't just great, she is among the best villains in each of the three for me. This introduction, mysterious as it is, shows Galaxia's elegance and cosmic ambitions through the imagery and her words which somehow are of ultimate ambitions yet feel understated and restrained in a way that so perfectly fits her character. 

We cut to Usagi in her bedroom, awakening uncharacteristically early, and uncharacteristically serious compared to her usual "WAAHHHHHHHHH I'M LATE" routine. Perhaps just a sign of her newfound maturity as a high school girl. Yet Usagi finds to her surprise that she's crying without understanding why. A dark feeling has entered her heart. This has been seen before back in the Infinity Arc, when she started crying without knowing why because she subconsciously picked up on the sorrow of the Outer Senshi. But what is she feeling this time?

Chibiusa meets Hotaru to go to school, the two being all cutesy together. The two gossip about Kyuusuke and Momo getting together. Usagi comments that the two sure are close, being all cranky from the earlier feeling she had when she woke up. She comments on the two of them holding hands and Hotaru asks "Don't you and Mamoru hold hands." Usagi, feeling a bit upset about something involving Mamoru we'll find out later in the act basically just walks through their hand-holding

As mentioned, Usagi is just feeling down for ulterior reasons but once again.... very "subtle" way of alluding to Chibiusa and Hotaru's relationship Naoko, literally comparing them to Usagi and Mamoru.

Usagi meets up with the Guardian Senshi and we cut to Haruka and Michiru cutely bicycling together to school with Haruka complaining about getting up early. with Mugen Academy gone they have to attend...normal school. The horror. Michiru happily greets her fans greeting her. Haruka side-eyes her and comments she seems to be having fun and Michiru starts talking about how much fun it will be living out their youths. Meanwhile, in another cute scene, Setsuna is acting as the nurse for the Elementary School that Chibiusa and Hotaru go to, showing her maternal side. All the other kids get jealous of Hotaru for having a cool, beautiful mom.

I don't really have much to add to these scenes, they're just super cute and funny. I do think it's nice seeing these new other sides to Michiru and Setsuna, Michiru liking attention and having a romanticized view of youthful life and Setsuna enjoying taking care of children and having a fondness for cute things, as they two have had less focus then the other Outers. This is especially true of Michiru since Setsuna did have her own subplot, if short, in the Black Moon Clan arc. 

Back with the plot, we cut to Usagi in class with a cute bunny pencil when Minako throws a paper ball note at her. Minako asks if she wants to go to the CD store after school, but Usagi sends a cute note in return saying sorry, she can't, she's got something important to attend. After school Minako gets the low-down from the other Senshi. Mamoru's going away to study in America, and the crybaby princess is taking it hard, acting like she'll never see him again even though she can teleport. Minako complains she wanted to watch the Three Lights video she got on reserve making Michiru giggle. To my slight disappointment no one comments on the fact that every time a new idol group shows up they inevitably turn out to be mind-controlling monsters in disguise. 

Haruka asks and Minako explains that they're a popular new idol group with the cute girlish Yaten, the mature adult Taiki, and the cool guy Seiya. They're already popular with both Minako and Makoto being fans.

Michiru gives a bit of an elegant laugh and comments about "those boys." Minako notices and excitedly asks if she's a fan. Michiru coyly tells her that they're having their first live show in Shbiuya at the "Fantastic International Music Festival." Minako asks how she knows something even the fan club doesn't know and Michiru reveals she will be playing there as well, shocking Minako. A bunch of girls show up revealing Haruka to be the leader of the track and field club to be training these girls, all of whom are of course going all lovey-dovey over the attractive Haruka. 

This segues into a description of all the girls clubs with Michiru in the Swimming and Music clubs, Makoto in the Gardening and Cooking clubs, Ami in the computer club, and Minako in the volleyball club. All of which should be self-explanatory. Ami complains that she wanted to be in the computer club badly but it's full of boys who only play video games, she's the only girl there. Meanwhile, Minako with stars in her eyes says she's gonna get tickets from Michiru and they can all go see the Three Lights.

Makoto comments that Minako seems to be at peace. Minako responds that they worked really hard for this peace, they should enjoy being high-schoolers. Setsuna far away comments that this peace may not be long-lived however, ending the funtime shenanigans, cute as they were, and returning us to the drama.

We cut to Usagi and Mamoru at their airport. It's THIS scene. Mamoru tells Usagi he'll be there for a year, maybe a little longer. Usagi says that since Mamoru achieved his dream winning a scholarship to Harvard, she should be happier. Usagi says she told herself she'd see him off with a smile, and though she starts crying, she keeps smiling. The lovers embrace, Mamoru telling her to write him lots of letters. Usagi tells him that she'll write him a lot of letters and call him often.

Usagi asks him to return to her soon. Mamoru promises her that he will return but before he goes he pulls out a present. Usagi opens it to....find a ring...

It's a promise ring, a ring symbolizing his promise to return to her side, for the two to finally be together forever. I cry every time I see this scene in the original manga and in every time it's adapted. I just love these two together so much. The sheer level of support they give each other, the way they truly mean everything to each other, and how they can never seem to stay away from each other. This is a moment that means so much given how much they've had to fight to be together. They thought it was fate, it was the will of the gods to keep them apart. They've died and been reincarnated, they've had horrific monstrosities time and again try and keep them apart, yet it's their love that has always empowered them to continue on. The last arc used childish elements to relate its subtext of growing up, and indeed each of the first four arcs in their own ways were about themes related to adolescence from finding your own identity apart from one's history, about taking responsibility, about understanding what you are and are not willing to sacrifice, and about realizing the deeper dreams that undergird childish material dreams. This new act has shown the Senshi in a new stage of development truly as young adults, and it shines through in Mamoru's implicit pre-proposal here. 

The two lovers kiss

Then Galaxia kills Mamoru

Absolutely brilliant moment. It works on so many levels. First the obvious. It's a MASSIVE shock to the unexpecting reader, and even I who have read this manga many times feel a jolt from the suddenness. There's a general pattern you see in these kind of series. The Heroes go through the various minions or traps or challenges the big bad sets until they reach the big bad. Perhaps they and the Big Bad will meet a few times during it, but this kind of stuff just doesn't happen normally. What do people talk about when they talk about surprising deaths in fiction? I can think of no death more surprising I've ever seen than having the Big Bad surprise teleport in and kill the second most important character in the story in the first chapter of an arc. This act is telling the reader not to expect Galaxia to be another Beryl, Demande, Tomoe, or Zirconia. She's not going to be just sending out her minions to attack the Senshi one at a time (though she may do that as well.) She's going to take initiative. It's telling them that this arc is not like the others, the things that were important to this point like Usagi's love can die any moment. It's a moment that fills the series with sudden momentum and throws the reader into confusion and uncertainty. 

It also does the same to Usagi. This moment will underscore Usagi's personal conflict this arc, the seeming temporality of all things she trusts and relies on. It throws her from her safe comfortable orderly Solar System into the chaotic uncertain greater Universe. As sudden as this moment is, the prior part of the arc foreshadows this moment and its connection with the themes of the arc. It's been a recurring feeling so far that the Senshi have reached a new stage of maturity but with that comes that sensation; the feeling that all the things of your childhood are themselves a temporal stage of development and that safe comfortable world of yours will fade away leaving you in the seemingly infinite, dangerous and uncertain universe to find your way. Both of Usagi and Mamoru's interactions so far have been about the idea of permanency, that they will always be together. But can anything truly be eternal in the material universe? That theme of eternality and temporarily will be the recurrent theme of the arc and it introduces it by challenging the thing that seemed most trustworthy and eternal in the series so far; the union of Usagi and Mamoru. And what an introduction to our villainess! I love Galaxia for a lot of reasons and the very same thing that makes this moment so impactful are how it builds up Galaxia as our new villainess. She comes in and immediately, before we know her minions or goal or even her NAME, completely disrupts the set of assumptions the series is built on. The Sailor Senshi of destruction lives up to her title destroying the thing Usagi trusted in most, and with it her sense of invulnerability and stability. What other villain in the first chapter of a new story arc starts the story by just suddenly killing the second most important character in the entire series without it even being built up the entire chapter? This is what makes Galaxia so threatening and entertaining, the way she seems an unstoppable and unpredictable force, the way she breaks narrative conventions just as she might a planet, the way she breaks the reader's sense of confidence. I could go about this scene but I need to proceed at any time.

Usagi faints from the traumatic experience but is caught by Seiya of the Three Lights, who says they're already too late. The Three Lights escort Usagi's unconscious body away to the shouts of a bunch of fangirls. Usagi awakens in their car, smelling the fragrance of Osmanthus or Sweet Olives. In a daze she asks to be let out and walks away, with Yaten humorously saying "she could have at least said 'thank you' " only to be cut off by Seiya.

So Usagi's going to have trauma induced amnesia for a bit over Galaxia killing Mamoru. This doesn't really bother me as it wouldn't have truly changed the plot that much if it didn't happen, it doesn't cause any plot induced stupity, but I get that this might be frustrating narratively for some readers. I think it serves an important narrative function of representing the brutal part of reality Usagi has trouble facing, but obviously just because something can be thematically justified doesn't mean it's not narratively frustrating. I find for people that don't like the Stars Arc that's broadly the reason why. That the level of thematic depth doesn't excuse what they view as narratively frustrating decisions. I don't feel that way, but I think that's why some people don't like this arc in a nutshell.

The next day Usagi wakes up still in a bit of a daze with it deliberately mirroring the way she woke up the last day, to visually show that yesterday seemed like a dream, that it's all vague. Usagi goes to school and immediately Minako gets in her face asking if she gave Mamoru a hot goodbye kiss. Makoto notices the ring on her finger with Ami, Makoto, and Minako freaking out at what that means. Usagi, still glassy-eyed responds that Mamoru gave her this ring, got on his plane, and landed safety in America unable to face what happened.

This is how you make a scene somehow both a cute and funny scene, and also really sad. You give the scene completely different meanings to two different characters. The Guardians wanting to know the spicy details of Usagi and Mamoru's relationships and freaking out about Usagi's promise ring are relatable and funny and cute. Yet at the same time, Usagi is in an entirely different mental world as them, having seen the devastation of the Guardian of Destruction already. You can sympathize and understand either, and so the scene can serve as both at once.

We cut to Chibiusa recalling the entire Dream Arc saying she needs to go report all that happened to mama, meaning she needs to go back to the 30th Century. Diana adorably agrees stating she's "eager to help report on Small Lady's progress" which of course makes me imagine Diana giving a tiny but very formal, very serious report to the Queen. Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna encourage her in this but Hotaru, in one of the most innocently cute things she says in the entire series says "you're going back home? That's no fun." She really is a child whose friend is going home for the day. Chibiusa tells Hotaru she'll be back soon...once again the problem of time travel....she could literally go and come back a second after she left.

In a...rather quick bit, Chibiusa says her goodbyes and leaves for the 30th Century, possibly to emphasize the subjective sensation to Usagi of the world changing uncontrollably so quickly. The Guardians comment on how with both Mamoru and Chibiusa not here, Usagi's gonna be so lonely but Usagi forcefully says that Chibiusa will be back soon and Mamoru will come back.

If you know what happened to Usagi, her response here makes more sense. She's trying to insist that everything's alright, that they're not going to be gone when she needs their presence, that they're gonna back because she knows subconsciously Mamoru's not coming back. 

Later the Senshi are at the concert with Michiru playing violin and Haruka playing piano, impressing the Guardian Senshi. The Three Lights come out to perform wow-ing the Guardian Senshi, especially Minako. Afterwards, the Three Lights meet Haruka and Michiru in person. Taiki and Yaten get along well with Michiru, commenting they're fans of hers. However, Seiya comments to Haruka that she "moves like the wind" alluding to Haruka's secret identity and the two share a tense handshake where Haruka senses the energy of the stars around the Three Lights

Of course with all the level of subverting her normal dynamic, Naoko also re-uses one of her old favorites, the "mysterious new allies" trope she loves to use every arc. And as always there's a level of mistrust between the two groups that Usagi must mediate between. Here they will always be a difference, but not to be seen for a bit.

Meanwhile, a woman in a mouse-looking costume and shades is watching the Three Lights with interest. She comments that she finally found them, holders of Sailor Crystals, the ultimate Star Seeds. Feeling the energy of 10 other Sailor Crystals here as well she gets very excited, proclaiming Galaxia-sama will be very pleased and that she, Sailor Iron Mouse, will get them. Iron Mouse then shoots an energy blast at the stage where the Starlights just barely dodge, causing massive panic 

The Sailor Senshi transform to battle this new enemy, with Jupiter blocking an attack from Iron Mouse and Mars and Venus blocking off the door to keep civilians from being endangered. Uranus and Neptune attempt to attack Iron Mouse with their new attacks but she raises her braclets and calls out "Galactica Crush" seemingly nullifying the attacks. 

However, she's hit by a surprise third attack from a new assailant, blowing her up, briefly reminding Usagi of Mamoru. The Senshi look in surprise to see three new Sailor Senshi but dressed entirely differently from them.

The three fly away without saying anything, ending the act.

Act 50 is a great act, setting the tone for the level of quality for the Stars Arc. The obvious comparison are with the other arc-starting acts; Acts 1, 15, 27, and 39. 

Act 1 was an act that was incredibly iconic and rose into archetypal greatness with Usagi's henshin, yet had to spend a lot of time developing a mundane situation to get there and focusing on a lot of elements that wouldn't be important for most of the story. Act 50 also has a lot of mundane elements, yet these are not just much more entertaining because its with the cast of characters we've known the whole series as well as Naoko's evolution as a writer. Its mundane elements are far more integrated into the supernatural plot as opposed to just providing a contrast with things like Usagi and Mamoru's love scene foreshadowing or leading directly into Galaxia taking Mamoru's star seed or the Senshi's maturity reflecting one of the themes of the arc, the temporality of things. Yet this act also rises into archetypal greatness and if it was read as much 1, could have a similar level of iconic-ness, specifically the airport scene of Usagi and Mamoru.

Act 15 was an act that was full of life and mystery with the mysterious Black Moon Clan and Chibiusa's arrival, that set up the Black Moon Clan arc almost in totality in the plot elements introducing most of the Black Moon Clan at once while also having scenes of the Guardian Senshi in peacetime. However it was a bit thematically light, not really expressing what the themes of the Black Moon Clan Arc would be and maybe felt a bit cramped. Act 50 is as full of mystery, introducing the only member of Shadow Galactica that truly matters this arc, Galaxia herself, in a way that is full of intrigue, introduces the new allies in a way full of mystery, and also shows all of the Senshi in peacetime in a way even more effective then Act 15, as while in Act 15 the Guardians brush off Usagi's concerns about Chibiusa, here they don't even know what Usagi is going through. It does this without ever feeling cramped, able to send many pages just on Usagi and Mamoru sharing a romantic scene as set-up, and introducing the major theme of the arc in a way that is both unintrusive but evocative.

Act 27 was an act that introduced the arc being tonally more mature and full of intrigue, setting up the atmosphere as Act 15 did the characters, and introduced three of the most popular characters in Sailor Moon; Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru. However the act also struggles to integrate the old cast and new cast naturally. I will say Act 50 isn't amazing at integrating the old and new cast, but it's at least comparable if not superior with having Galaxia kill Mamoru being a demonstration of how Galaxia breaks the established order of the series. It also expresses that this arc will be tonally mature and sets up intrigue around the characters, but whereas Act 27's maturity was a more slow paced maturity, a creeping darkness, Act 50 slams you in the face telling you to hold on because nothing will be the same. It not only sets up the atmosphere, it sets up a more immediately exciting atmosphere full of momentum. 

Act 39 was an act that was full of ideas and had to express some relatively esoteric images and ideas, feelings of dreaminess, and did so fairly well but in turn was rather unfocused being a relatively long act with a bunch of disconnected ideas and no clear emphasis. Act 50 also expresses the relatively obscure theme of the arc, but it does so more naturalistically and in a far more focused manner. While Act 50 and Act 39 have scenes that communicate ideas, Act 39's were disorganized while Act 50's were all unique character dynamics somewhat not seen before and built to the big set pieces. 

Act 50 does all this while still having its own identity. Act 50 is Naoko's writing at its more pure and efficient while also somehow subverting the formula she had become known for. Its thoroughly entertaining the whole way through with fun little details everywhere, yet also builds to a fantastic midpoint, which is a highlight scene of the entire series. Even without being the longest act it has several scenes that ring fantastic in my memory; especially the two scenes with Usagi and Mamoru. It sets up the arc perfectly, giving its theme and central villain perfectly while also giving it moment, and at the same time is engaging in itself. Its only weaknesses, some things being not 100% logically consistent within themselves like the inconsistency of Chibiusa's time travel or Usagi not being able to just teleport and see Mamoru whenever she wants is a weakness of the series in general and is worse most of the time. Some people might not like Usagi temporarily getting amnesia from trauma, but I don't mind it as a narrative device as it thematically fits the arc so well.

What amazes me about this act similar as Act 1 for the series as a whole, is that this is the norm for the Stars Arc. It's an Arc that the best of any arc would be the norm for this arc. Act 50 isn't an especially good Stars Act, this is just how good this Arc is. Yet it's still a fantastic act I love. I had to stop myself from just continuing to talk about some of the things this act and it always invigorates me for the Stars Arc.