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PGSM - Act Five
This time, Ami gives the recap, saying that Rei finally came around to their team, and that she's really happy to have people she can call friends.
So it's a happy Ami who gets herself up and ready in the morning in her empty house - her mother has already gone off to work.
However, she's still not too sure of her friends, because a horoscope saying "Be careful when it comes to friendship - it's not as strong as you may believe" sets her worrying.
But it doesn't worry her all that much, since she seems to be in a pretty good mood on her way to school - she even cutely jumps over a puddle with sound effects. Jumping must be one of her senshi powers.
But, again she sees some people in the park filming something... and it's again about a friendship breaking up.
Ami really isn't the most confident of girls.
To add to it, when she gets to Crown, Motoki (still unnamed) comments about her being alone today.
So to sum up the first three minutes of the show, Ami is insecure about how good of a friend she is.
This continues to bother her even after the opening theme song as she sits their room alone. Judging from the pictures on the wall, some time has passed since act four.
Finally, Usagi and Rei enter - arguing (as usual) about music. Ami isn't quite sure how to interrupt - or even if she should.
But finally she's able to greet Usagi with a cheerful "Tsukino-san!"
Usagi scolds her a bit. Friends should call each other by their first names.
She leaves it at that, returning to the more important matters of trying to get Rei to listen to Anio Minako's new song, but that small comment had a big effect on Ami.
On her way home, Ami finds yet another thing about friendship - this time on a TV show where a friendship breaks up. She imagines herself and Usagi in the show in place of the actresses - and Usagi is now saying that they were never really friends.
(Ami seems surprised to discover that she has placed herself within the TV show...)
Ami finally concludes what I concluded after the first minute of the show - that she's being paranoid.
But, just the same, she picks up a book on friendship and starts to page through it.
I think she buys the book, because in the next scene she's at home reading - with some mysterious female voice announcing what she's reading.
She realizes that she perfectly fits the qualities that make her a "bad friend" and all of the events of the day flash before her eyes.- with echoes to show that they're important.
The next morning, as usual, Usagi is running to school.
As she's fussing with her shoes, she hears a hesitant voice greet her "Usagi!"
She looks up to see Ami grinning at her. Usagi is in shock for a moment, but as soon as it filters in that Ami called her by her name, and she proceeds to excitedly glomp Ami before hurrying off to class.
Usagi greets the whole class, and they all stop what they're doing to say "Hi" to her. I dunno, maybe that's the way it works here.
Ami comes in and greets the class as well. They all turn and greet her, and then, as a class, do a fabulous double take.
With the voice over from the book talking, Ami proceeds to do things that she doesn't normally do, she joins in in protesting about a pop quiz, she eats lunch with Usagi and her friends, and she even fails the test with the rest so that she has to stay after and help clean. She even decides to skip cram school to go hang out with Usagi and Naru.
Usagi is very excited about this new Ami and so, while consuming a very large jug of popcorn, she tells Rei all about it. Rei seems a bit doubtful about the new Ami. She tells Usagi not to be so forceful, but Usagi says that she's glad Ami has changed - now Ami can have a lot more fun.
Meanwhile, back in the Dark Kingdom, Nephrite reports that he might maybe sorta possibly have an idea where the Mythical Silver Crystal is. Beryl is not impressed. She doesn't want to maybe sorta possibly have the MSC - she wants the crystal (And I think she wants it now!) She tells him that if he brings her the crystal, he'll get everything he desires.
He says that he wants her. Her only response is a sort of smirk.
Scene change to Usagi's pajama party - where, of course, they are singing C'est La Vie. You'd think that that was an important song or something. Usagi and Naru dance around, while Ami just stays put in her place on the floor, although she does clap along.
After a bit though, Usagi gets Ami to sing, C'est La Vie of course.
After the singing comes another important part of any slumber party - the make over session.
One of Ami's secrets is revealed - she doesn't need to wear glasses. She only wears them because it makes her feel better. Usagi says that she'd be cuter if she didn't wear them. (I disagree! She's way cute with glasses)
An hour later, the three girls all have far too much make up on - but Ami has the most. Usagi gently tells her she has a little too much on. Ami laughs along with the rest but it seems a bit forced.
She goes to the bathroom to wash her face, and tells herself in the mirror that this whole venture of hers is very tiring.
Then she faints.
That pretty much puts an end to the party. Ami comes to to find herself laying in Usagi's bed. Naru has gone home. Ami says she's sorry for ruining the party, but Usagi has other worries. She was too excited to see Ami being more outgoing that she didn't stop to think about how hard it was for Ami. She had found the book Ami was using. Usagi tells her that she shouldn't make herself sick over trying to be the perfect friend.
Ami says that "Tsukino-san" seemed to be much happier when Ami was acting differently.
Usagi agrees that she was, but not if it was all a lie.
The next day, Rei tells Usagi that maybe she was pushing Ami a little too hard. She can't expect everyone to be as friendly as she is.
The phone rings - and it's Luna! She says that she thinks that she knows where the MSC is (As opposed to the other times when she knew where it was...).
So the girls head off to an arts school, where the lecturer has a suspicious crystal on her pendant.
It seems that Nephrite and Luna get their information from the same source, because he turns up there as well.
He appears to be talking to himself, but then a strange rainbow colored youma appears behind him. So I guess that's what he was talking to.
Usagi finds a badge on the ground, and picks it up, trying to sound out the name.
"It's Chiba Mamoru," comes a voice. Yes, folks, Mamoru finally has a name.
The two discuss about how they keep running into each other. And then, to get back at her, Mamoru reads her name tag wrong - reading it as "Piggy"
The two part in their normal manner, leaving Mamoru to say that he's hunting for the crystal too.
I guess he shares the same source of info as the other two.
Ami conveniently arrives to see the youma attacking the lecturer on a balcony. (Most fight scenes take place on balconies after all). So Ami Makes Up into Mercury.
And... suddenly she and the youma are in a forest.
I don't quite follow that one.
This youma can teleport, faster than Mercury can keep up. She closes her eyes and connects with all of the water around her. Somehow that tells her where the youma is. I'm not sure how, but it's a pretty cool looking sequence. She cartwheels over to the youma, because running over to it would just be silly.
Things seem to be going well until a tree falls on her.
Mercury pulls out her phone to call for help, but remembers how disappointed Usagi was before, and decides she can't call for help... She thinks that Moon wouldn't want to help her.
The tiara that comes flying in to hit the youma seems to say otherwise.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars come running in - and they're mad as all get out. The youma doesn't stand a chance against their double team attack.
It drops the necklace that it stole, and it goes flying - right into Tuxedo Mask's hand. He realizes that it's not the MSC (I dunno how he knows) and he tosses it to Moon.
They stand there and look at each other for a few minutes, and then with a swish of his cape, he's off.
Moon hurries over to Mars and Mercury. She scolds Mercury lightly for not calling for help.
"Usagi-chan... I..." Mercury starts
Moon bounces. Mercury finally used her name.
Mercury again says their names, "Usagi-chan, Rei-chan..."
Moon glomps her again and it's group hug time.
At school, Ami goes back to eating alone as normal, but at least now all of Usagi's friends are thinking of her as a normal girl now. On the roof, Ami suddenly realizes that she forgot to wear her glasses... but it didn't bother her.
Usagi decides that Rei was right. Ami will change, just at her own pace.
Luna comments (to the audience at home) that she feels the fourth senshi. Scene change to a girl walking alone down the street silhouetted by lightning.
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