REVIEW: Sailor Moon Crystal 38
We are nearing the end of what has become the best season of Sailor Moon Crystal, and loose ends are being tied in spectacular fashion. In this episode we witness the final showdown between Super Sailor Moon and Master Pharaoh 90, in which Usagi takes a huge risk in order to save the world. But the world may no longer be around to save, as the three Talismans have been activated, summoning the dreaded Sailor Saturn.
This episode was packed with action, with every minute serving a purpose. Earlier episodes seemed to drag, but they also established character bonds (namely Usagi/Haruka and Chibiusa/Hotaru) and foreshadowed the fearsome consequences of Saturn’s awakening that were finally fully realized in this episode. The Outer Senshi’s trembling fear during Saturn’s reveal was telling, but not as much as Saturn’s own reaction to the situation. As it turns out, she is incredibly self-aware that she’s not the most popular Sailor Senshi. She reveals that Hotaru should have died in the lab accident years prior; Saturn was not destined to appear in this lifetime. However, a shitty father, some aliens and a lot of bad decisions resulted in a few changes to the current timeline. Now it is time for a manual reset.
The Inner Senshi’s feelings of helplessness in every big battle spread to the rest of the cast in this episode. None of them could control Saturn, and no one could have stopped or saved Super Sailor Moon after she chooses to sacrifice herself to kill Master Pharaoh 90. Instead, all of the Senshi, her husband and her daughter can only watch in despair as she dives headfirst into the body of the beast. Haruka’s flashbacks of Usagi show just how close the two became throughout this arc and served as a painful coda for the tensions that built and then dissipated over several episodes. After dealing with his own Usagi drama, Mamoru finds himself in the same desperate situation. Everything was for nothing. Usagi is dead.
Well, we don’t know that, really, but Sailor Saturn’s awakening doesn’t help anything. But the episode ends on a satisfyingly dramatic cliffhanger after the worn down Chibi Moon calls out for her mother and Saturn seems to hesitate. Does she remember her bond with Chibiusa? The bond that transcended gender and evil magic and the thread of fate?
There are some wonky animation scenes in this episode, especially perspective shots during battle. While close-ups have been the show’s virtue, this week has many instances of faces that are off-model. That said, the subtitles were good this week and I did not notice any grievous errors. One day I’d like to see both great animation and great subtitles in one episode of Crystal. I’ll cross my fingers for this to happen the last episode.
I have a lot to say about Crystal, but I am waiting until my last review to discuss them. I am curious to see how faithful the ending stays to the manga, although so far it has literally followed it by the book. As the Senshi with the least amount of screen time in any version of the franchise, Sailor Saturn is currently stealing the show. Her power can even transcend Super Sailor Moon’s, but it comes at a price. I eagerly anticipate the finale for the resolution of both the plot and Hotaru Tomoe’s tragic character arc.
