Sailor Moon Crystal Impressions (November 15, 2014) WARNING - SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT.  IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED, DON'T SCROLL DOWN!

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Well, we're finally here... the Final Four of the first story arc.  And the turning point is big.  Our heroes head to the moon to find out who they are, Sailor Venus pulls out the Holy Moon Sword, and - as I predicted - not only did a battle royale between the Sailors and the four Kings happen in the frozen battlefield that is Tokyo, but we get a glimpse of the Kings' past lives as knights who swore to protect Prince Endymion, who represented the royalty of the entire planet Earth.

But nothing prepared me for the major change from the manga that played on a theory long speculated by fans for decades:  The theory that the Inner Sailors and the Kings were once in love with each other in their former lives during the Silver Millennium. During the big fight, Venus recalls their memories clearly confirming their romance.  At that moment, the Kings manage to escape when Sailor Moon uses Moon Healing Escalation to melt the ice of the frozen Tokyo.

Shortly after - as in the manga - Queen Beryl uses Endymion to bait Sailor Moon into getting the Silver Crystal in the next episode.  However, unlike the manga, the original Endymion is not killed and replaced with an empty husk, but rather spared and brainwashed.

I'm perfectly okay with the way this episode was executed, though they may improve some visuals in the finalized Blu-Ray release anyway.  That said, there's only 3 episodes to go until the Black Moon arc.  Here's hoping they deliver!

Anime Blog #13: Sailor Moon Crystal Impressions (November 1, 2014)

It's been 19 weeks since Sailor Moon Crystal has aired exclusively on stream.  And now, we're finally at the meat of the Dark Kingdom arc.  The revelations of the Moon Princess and her past go full circle in this week's Act 9.

After Tuxedo Mask takes a mortal blow for Sailor Moon during an airborne battle at Tokyo Tower with Kunzite, a grief-stricken Sailor Moon recalls the memories of her ancient past completely, forming the Silver Crystal from within her tears.  The crystal's light transferred into Endymion's body, and much to the heroes' chagrin, is taken by Queen Beryl just as quickly.

As Queen Beryl attempts to extract the crystal's light from Tuxedo Mask, the four Heavenly Kings memories seem to surge vaguely.  Meanwhile, Sailor Moon ultimately makes her decision to travel to the moon to have a full understanding of her destiny.

This episode, though heavily riddled with dialogue, had enough tension to act as a prelude to what will be an onslaught of exciting episodes henceforth. Act 10 may very well end up being a battle royale between the Sailor Senshi and the Four Kings, the likes of which we've never seen before.  I look forward to seeing the action unfold in 2 weeks.