Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III

Episode 32

The subtitles may not have been at their finest this week – there were definitely more typos than usual and one line with at least one missing word – but that doesn't change the fact that there are some really beautiful moments in episode 32 to enjoy. They aren't necessarily big plot points, although I could argue that anything involving Setsuna/Sailor Pluto's return counts, but there are just images and scenes that look especially nice. Given the animation issues that plagued seasons one and two of Sailor Moon Crystal, this feels like a particular treat.

Among those stand-out images, such as Usagi sitting on a bench with her legs drawn up or the detail put into Tellu's character design, which cannot have been fun to animate with her thorny vines and fairly intricate hair, are a lot of really nice action scenes that have the characters moving more fluidly than they have for a while. When Haruka (now consistently dressing like a girl) begins to run, the glimpse of Setsuna Chibi-Usa gets before she's obscured by a bus, Setsuna floating in a gauzy wrap prior to awakening, and Mamoru standing in Tellu's petal-strewn wind are all impressive shots. The fact that they're not necessarily super important either adds to their appeal. It's possible that there was just one animator who was completely on top of things this week, but it really adds to the overall feel of the episode, which is fairly laid-back plot-wise.

The goal of this week is clearly to get Sailor Pluto back into the fold. Since they have half an hour to accomplish this, that leaves room for a lot of little moments that feel vaguely like padding. While they are all decently important, like reaffirming Makoto's affinity for plants, which comes in handy when Tellu attacks and she's the only one who isn't instantly overwhelmed by evil pollen, the way the episode is put together doesn't quite make that clear. Sailor Chibi-Moon receiving her moon rod and subsequent attack, “Pink Sugar Heart Attack,” doesn't feel as momentous as it should, possibly because we've just watched Sailor Moon's own power totally fail to even slow Tellu down. Since we know Sailor Chibi-Moon is weaker than her future mother, the moment is robbed of a lot of its power. On the other hand, having Chibi-Usa's would-be suitor give her his school project after their teacher has told the class to give them as presents to someone important to them is a nice little moment, showing how well Chibi-Usa is fitting in at school while also providing some comedy when she has no clue why he's giving it to her. We may see through his “friendship” excuse (which he clearly didn't anticipate having to give), but she sure doesn't.

Another interesting character interaction comes when Usagi ignores the evil pollen of Tellu's tellun plant in order to chase after Haruka and MICHIRU in town. She still has very conflicting feelings about Haruka as a person alongside her wish to fight with Sailors Uranus and Neptune, and this is nicely portrayed by the classic shot of them on either side of a closed door, neither happy with the situation nor quite resigned to it. Whether or not there is a romantic component to this is up in the air, especially since both are involved in seemingly stable relationships, but there is a definite yearning for contact on both their parts. The difference is that Usagi doesn't understand why Neptune and Uranus are keeping their distance, while Haruka seems to be concerned about what will happen if they don't. How Setsuna shakes this dynamic up will be interesting in itself, since her past relationship with Chibi-Usa is obviously going to play a role in her new life on earth as Setsuna Meioh – her entrance as Sailor Pluto serves to save Sailor Chibi-Moon with a quietly spoken “Dead Scream.” (Ai Maeda does a great job with it!) It's obvious that she, unlike her Outer Senshi compatriots, has zero conflict in presenting herself to the Inner Senshi.

The Witches 5 are nearly gone, which means that the time is approaching for bigger bads to actually enter into the fray. While it is a shame that they didn't get much time as characters, the real meat of the Death Busters arc involves Hotaru and her father, and I am eager for that plot to get further underway. Kaolinite, in her guise as Kaori, now knows about the Silver Crystal and its effect on Hotaru, dramatically upping the stakes for the Sailor Guardians. How long will Chibi-Usa get to enjoy the company of her new friend? If Pharaoh 90 has his way, not very long at all.

Rating: B

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal: Season III is currently streaming on Crunchyroll, Viz.com and Hulu.