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PGSM - Act Seventeen
Luna recaps: the enemy is getting stronger due to all of the energy they have gathered, but Usagi's concerns are a little more close to home...
Back to Usagi watching Mamoru and his girlfriend leave. His currently unnamed girlfriend watches Mamoru and Usagi stare at each other until Usagi turns and walks away.
The girlfriend says that maybe Usagi came to see him, but he says that if she did, she would have come over to say Hi.
She agrees and gets on his bike with him. But he's silently wondering why Usagi would have come to see him. After all, she doesn't like him.
A sad Usagi sees them drive past three times, each time in increasingly slower motion. She hasn't moved, so either they are going very quickly around the block, or it just impacts her that strongly.
She tries to convince herself that there is nothing between her and Mamoru, and she even starts eating the cookies that she made, but it doesn't seem to help. It feels like the world is passing her by... as indicated by the fact that she is the only one in focus on the screen at the time.
News that Aino Minako is still planning on releasing her new album, but cancelling all of her appearances distracts her for a few moments, but even Minako can't keep Usagi's spirits up.
Minako and Artemis are safe in their hide out - looks like a hotel room. It seems that, because nobody in the normal world knows where they are, nobody in the Dark Kingdom does either. (I suppose so, Zoisite was the only one that found her, and he's still a rock at the moment). She just finishes telling Artemis that she's doing fine when she puts a hand to her head and collapses on the couch.
After the theme song, Kunzite is very happy that they have taken the first steps towards awakening Queen Meteria. Seeing as how Kunzite's approach is the only successful one to date, Beryl tells him to keep it up. He says that he will, but not because she told him to. Kunzite wants to wake Meteria, and will do so with or without Beryl's orders.
Beryl gives him a Look, but says nothing. Nephrite on the other hand.... Well he's already demonstrated that he doesn't take kindly to any sort of slight against Beryl.
Kunzite says calmly that Beryl has Nephrite to serve her.
Before Nephrite has a chance to respond, there is another voice.
Like we saw in the last episode, Jadiete has awakened. He apologizes for being gone for so long, but Beryl tells him that she's just glad he's back, and she pretty much wants him to pick up where he left off. Of course Jadiete agrees.
The girls are now taking sewing class. Their assignment is to either knit a muffler or make a one piece dress. Their teacher suggests that when they are done with their projects, they give it to someone as a present.
Naru immediately starts teasing Usagi about giving hers to Mamoru...which just makes Usagi flash back to seeing him with his girlfriend.
At Crown, Ami is knitting with red yarn while she tells Makoto about their assignment. Makoto comments that it's not Ami's color, but she says that since their teacher suggested they make a present for someone, she thought she'd use her mother's favorite color and give the scarf to her.
Makoto starts pondering who she should give hers to, and asks Usagi.
Once again, Usagi flashes back to her traumatic experience... and then cheerfully declares that she is going to give hers to Tuxedo Kamen. She'll give it to Tux because she likes him, not Mamoru, and then she hurries off to go shopping for yarn, leaving Makoto and Ami somewhat confused... but they are used to Usagi by now.
Makoto decides to go out as well, and she asks Ami to tell Rei. Ami says Rei isn't coming in - it's the anniversary of her mother's death, and Rei has gone to the church and cemetery where she is buried.
Rei sets flowers on her mother's grave and kneels in front of it.
A priest comes by to say that her mother would be pleased, but her mother would be even more pleased if Rei and her father came together. I think that this is more to provide plot exposition than anything else.
Rei takes this chance to reveal that her father is a workaholic, in addition to hating her and abandoning her at the temple, as revealed in Act Eight.
Meanwhile, inside the church, Minako is praying.
Back in the caves of the Dark Kingdom, Nephrite brings Jadiete up to speed. Sailor V is Sailor Venus is the Moon Princess and she has the MSC, but now the Princess has vanished and Nephrite is stuck working with Kunzite. He doesn't like how Kunzite has no respect or adoration or anything for Beryl.
Jadiete vows to collect more energy for Beryl... uh... to revive Meteria that is.
Makoto chases Usagi down. She's doesn't trust Tux and she doesn't think Usagi should have a crush on him. Usagi says that he saves them all the time. It's the same argument.
At the store, Usagi is trying to decide what color yarn to get. She goes through pink, blue, and yellow, each time imagining giving the scarf to Tux... this means a lot of scenes of her putting it around his neck.
Makoto tries to plead her case, Usagi should not trust Tux, he is a thief, etc, but Usagi doesn't listen.
Eventually she decides on a cream colored yarn, and they leave the store. As Makoto tries to reason with her, Usagi spots food and runs off.
Minako leaves the church and walks past Rei. This is important because they replay it several times in slow motion.
The priest stops Minako and asks her for some help - he has found a lost, exhausted (cute) dog.
Rei comes over to help as well, and Minako promptly recognizes her as Sailor Mars.
They take the dog inside, and bundle him up in blankets.
The two girls offer to stay and watch over the dog.
Meanwhile, Usagi has been successful in her quest for food, and Makoto has given up. She sits there dejectedly throwing popcorn to the birds while Usagi eats.
Finally Usagi admits that she doesn't know how to sew or knit or whatever it is they're doing, and she needs Makoto to help her.
Makoto reluctantly agrees - but it is for school, not for Tux. She asks Usagi once again if she is serious about Tux. Usagi says she is, but her thoughts keep going back to Mamoru.
She jumps up and says they should go back to Crown... and runs off, leaving Makoto to carry everything.
Meanwhile, back at the church, Rei finally realizes who Minako is... and only because Minako's picture is on a magazine sitting in plain sight.
Minako is impressed - hardly anyone doesn't know her. Rei admits that she doesn't watch much TV, which I guess means she doesn't pay attention to popular culture, but she has a friend who is a big fan.
Usagi is currently running around Crown singing C'est La Vie while Makoto and Ami sit working on their projects. The other two do not look amused.
Back to the church, Rei and Minako talk a little as they tend to the dog. I think that his stomach must growl or something because they start giggling and comment that he must be hungry. Minako searches her pocket, but all she has is candy. (I guess she's out of dog food). It's not good for a dog, but the two girls enjoy it.
Outside, a youma jumps down from onto of the building and lands on the priest. Minako and Rei both sense it, (so does the dog it seems). Rei jumps up and runs out, then pauses to excuse herself.
Rei reaches the youma before it can do too much to the priest, and she Makes Up. Mars fire blasts the youma, but it runs away.
Minako comes out just in time to see Mars run off after the youma.
Artemis tells her that she can't fight.
Usagi is pleased with the few inches of her scarf she has done as she walks home with the other two when their phones ring
It's Luna - Sailor Mars is fighting with a youma at the nearby church. (There is only one after all)
But as they are running, Usagi runs into Mamoru, in her usual way.
And... Usagi, Mamoru, Makoto, Ami and Mamoru's girlfriend just stand there and stare at each other for a good twenty-five seconds until Mamoru's girlfriends realizes that Usagi has dropped her knitting, so she picks it up. She brushes it off and returns it to Usagi.
Then another fifteen seconds of silent staring before Usagi grabs her knitting, stammers an apology and runs off, with Makoto and Ami following
Ami falls back. She's not an athlete and wouldn't know what to say, so she'll let Makoto handle it.
Makoto does catch Usagi.
Usagi is upset... Mamoru's girlfriend is nice... she tried so hard not to like him, but...
Meanwhile, Mars and the youma have made it into some sort of gym type place. And they fight and stuff. Minako runs in to see that Mars isn't doing so well. Artemis tries to get her to stop, and once Mars spots her, she tells her to run away.
But, to Mars's surprise - Minako strikes a pose and yells “Venus Power - Make up!”
And we finally see Sailor Venus's transformation sequence... which is... by far the most elaborate. It is also the best quality.
It is the only one where she is in focus the whole time. She changes her clothes by cartwheeling around, and then little animated people turn her hair blonde and do it up in a bow. It's the Soldier of Love and Beauty - Sailor Venus!
The crystal in her crown sparkles, and she dares the youma to take it.
Now it's a fight scene with two senshi... Mars and Venus running around is contrasted with Usagi sitting outside on some steps, staring at her knitting.
During the fight, the sun sets very quickly, or something, because all of a sudden, Usagi is walking home in the dark.
Jadiete turns up in the gym, where Venus and Mars and the youma are just standing there glaring at each other. He sent his youma to gather energy - he didn't expect to catch the Princess.
Venus uses her unnammed attack to attack the youma, but it doesn't work, and she's blasted off her feet.
Mars hurries over to make sure she's alright, but Venus scolds her for letting the youma get away.
Venus is clearly not used to being part of a team where they look out for each other.
Anyway, Venus gets up and glares down at Mars. (A good use of placement here, to make Venus loom over Mars) She says that Mars has a lot to learn about being a senshi.
Mars is nearly reduced to tears, but she gets up angrily. It seems that the Princess isn't very nice after all.
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