In my review of Disk 2 for this series, I forgot to mention that apparently the Inners got tired of the color coding their clothes thing. I can see that getting pretty boring after a little while. Meanwhile,in Sailor Moon SuperS, Part 2, Disk 3, Nehelennia is finally getting serious and threatening Zirconia and the Amazoness Quartet while she threatens the White Moon. And the Inners get serious about doing something about the bad guys, instead of faffing about with the Lemures. Mamoru begins the inevitable process of becoming a burden to everyone.

The Inners and the Amazoness Quartet face off and we get to listed to “Sailor Team Theme” (Minna, Henshin yo Makeup!”) in the background, which makes that scene a little worth it. Sailor Moon is more concerned with the nature of her enemies and Chibi Moon with the nature of her ally than the problem at hand.  Helios arrives and explains what the Dead Moon are, and we all on board the necessity of saving Helios. And what a surprise, Chibi-Usa has the Golden Mirror!

While I was waiting for the conclusion of this arc, I thought about ways the Sailor Moon franchise could weather the gap between the 30th anniversary and the 40th. Of course, there will be a 35th anniversary something but 35 isn’t as powerful magic as anniversaries with 0s. What I came up with were a series of novels, each focusing on a pair of the Senshi. If they didn’t want to bother with wholly original content, they could just insert each within an existing season. Mercury-Mars in a story within Season 1, Jupiter-Venus in Season 2, Uranus-Neptune in Season 3, Chibi-Usa-Pluto-Saturn in Season 4 and Usagi-Mamoru in Season 5. Put one out every other year. I’d buy ’em. Heck, I’d write ’em.

In the meantime we have learned that Nehelennia was basically a creepy stalker without the ability to distinguish between “I want it” and “It is mine.” Of actual interest is the Amazoness Quartet’s decision to defect. Especially in light of the fact they unwittingly awoke Nehalennia.  Interestingly, while Beryl was sort of vaguely sympathetic (albeit a creepy stalker) and Ail and An were sort of vaguely sympathetic and Professor Tomoe was vaguely sympathetic….Nehelennia is an asshole. But she does give us an important – and relevant – tidbit, “Devouring other people’s dreams is the way to immortality.” Given what we know of history, she’s probably not wrong.

Mamoru gets a powerup and I’m reminded that I feel that the story treats both he and Chibi-Usa a little unfairly. Usagi has her guardians, but both Mamoru and Chibi-Usa encounter their guardians as enemies and only learn the truth when it’s too late. Would it have killed them to let the Generals and the Asteroid Senshi be part of the narrative? Something else again for our 21st century rewrite in which old family gets to stick around, the way they do in the Nanoha series (when the story is allowed to progress, and not just recycled..)

Kaiju Chibi-Usa brainwashing the children of the city, having them to chant “moon crisis power” is not the choice I might have made for a story that ostensibly is about people’s “beautiful dreams.” A giant looming Chibi-Usa is certainly not any dream I ever had.

The final battle is mostly a waiting game, while everyone talks.

Overall, this is still my least favorite season, but that gave me time to really appreciate the fine job Viz did on it.

Ratings:

Art – 7
Story – 2 It gets even more unfocused at the end
Characters – 6
Service – There is some creepy shit in there, even aside from lolicon bondage and panty shots
Yuri – 0

Overall – 5

I have watched this season once again. I expect the next time I watch it it will be the 50th anniversary hologram release. Nothing less will entice me to watch this ever again, beyond the Super S Special episode with Haruka and Michiru.