Warning do not read unless seen episode.
This is part two and the finale of the Rubeus arc. Unfortunately, at this point the bad guys have homecourt advantage. Chibi Usa we see just feels like crap and guilty, I remember thinking "good" because it's true was Chibi Usa's fault because she was selfish and weak; not very heroic at all and worst of all not worthy. We get little hints on her like one flashback where there is some attack and we see in shadow the Sailor Senchi running away with her protecting her from this danger. This lets us know that she really relates to Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and the Sailor Senchi in the future but we don't have hard proof yet to verify the extent of this connection.
We also discover another moment when Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask, despite not mad at her is disappointed in her if not showing it; he tells her lightly to put down all her cards as he wants the truth about everything. But unfortunately Chibi Usa is unable to remember, yeah I know it's kind of the clenched amnesia card, however this actually works because there is weight because there is a psychological reason for this as Chibi Usa suffers traumatic memory lapse; whatever happened to her in the future was so awful and traumatic that her subconscious is going out of it's way to block out her memories of it. It's a defense mechanism to feel less afraid but this we know doesn't last and somewhere along the line, she's going to have to face and deal with this, which you could say is part of her journey in this season.
In a way the episode is sort of a western, as we see it's all came down to Usagi/Sailor Moon. Really like this monologue Usagi gives herself as she's admitted she's let her get lazy and weak as she's always relied too much on her friends/Sailor Senchi to save her or win the battles for her. From what's happened she realizes she can't do that anymore, if she's going to save her friends she has to do it herself, because she's the only one that can. They did it for her time and time again, it's time for her to return the favor. What she's doing sort of goes with a poem from Yeats on heroism being a private thing and I personally believe that it's the willingness for you alone to do what is right.
For Chibi Usa's it's a mission of redemption, in the words of Coach from "Revenge of the Nerds": "Well if I was you, I'd do something about it, I would get up and redeem myself in the eyes of my father, my maker, my coach!" She admits to her failure that she let herself get weak, and she wants to save the Sailor Senchi as their her friends but also to restore her honor. And this once again gets at her desire to be a hero, and she learns if the hard way that it's not about having powers but the strength and courage to do what is right.
The conflict between Rubeus and Sailor Moon is solid, not a wall to wall battle but in a way it's more of a spiritual battle.
One scene and profound moment is when we see Rubeus use the black crystal gravity machine and its power against Sailor Moon to crush her down but also toy with her as she is getting her to kneel to him. But then we see Sailor Moon she stands up despite how much is pushing against her and even Rubeus's sick insults. It really shows the strength of Sailor Moon in character and spirit that she's a person who won't let anyone bend or break her. No matter how hard it gets, even if her body breaks down, her spirit never will.
We see Chibi Usa comes in to help on time to save Sailor Moon and the rest, she finds the power source and tries lifting it up. It of course has a defensive measure as it is shooting negative black moon energy on her body, but despite the pain doesn't give up as she knows she has to fight though it and lift that crystal if she wants to save everyone. In a way, the scene with her is sort of the "Sword and the Stone" principle where it was about strength of the spirit that lifted the sword, for the strength of the spirit is limitless. This is a test of Chibi Usa will, pain represents struggle no matter how painful it is, if you keep with it and never let yourself give up then the strength of your will can endure anything and accomplish great feats.
What's also interesting is you can say it wasn't so much just Sailor Moon and Chibi Usa that beat Rubeus. But Rubeus defeated himself, despite how powerful he was there were cracks in his ruby as the guy was arrogant, overly self-absorbed and obsessed with power and ego. This guy has no friends as they are nothing but tools to heighten his own shallow goals; let alone relationships of any kind as he terminated his chance of one with Koan. All this guy had was one big ship to run with all the black moon magic and toys to power it along with his ego. But neither of these things in the end gave him love, triumph nor did they even protect him and thanks to his egotism and antisocial behavior there is no one to save him.
Sailor Moon once again shows why she's a hero of worth, but also Chibi Usa has taken her first step on the right path to heroism, and it's the same path Sailor Moon walks on called bravery.
Rating: 4 stars.
This is part two and the finale of the Rubeus arc. Unfortunately, at this point the bad guys have homecourt advantage. Chibi Usa we see just feels like crap and guilty, I remember thinking "good" because it's true was Chibi Usa's fault because she was selfish and weak; not very heroic at all and worst of all not worthy. We get little hints on her like one flashback where there is some attack and we see in shadow the Sailor Senchi running away with her protecting her from this danger. This lets us know that she really relates to Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and the Sailor Senchi in the future but we don't have hard proof yet to verify the extent of this connection.
We also discover another moment when Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask, despite not mad at her is disappointed in her if not showing it; he tells her lightly to put down all her cards as he wants the truth about everything. But unfortunately Chibi Usa is unable to remember, yeah I know it's kind of the clenched amnesia card, however this actually works because there is weight because there is a psychological reason for this as Chibi Usa suffers traumatic memory lapse; whatever happened to her in the future was so awful and traumatic that her subconscious is going out of it's way to block out her memories of it. It's a defense mechanism to feel less afraid but this we know doesn't last and somewhere along the line, she's going to have to face and deal with this, which you could say is part of her journey in this season.
In a way the episode is sort of a western, as we see it's all came down to Usagi/Sailor Moon. Really like this monologue Usagi gives herself as she's admitted she's let her get lazy and weak as she's always relied too much on her friends/Sailor Senchi to save her or win the battles for her. From what's happened she realizes she can't do that anymore, if she's going to save her friends she has to do it herself, because she's the only one that can. They did it for her time and time again, it's time for her to return the favor. What she's doing sort of goes with a poem from Yeats on heroism being a private thing and I personally believe that it's the willingness for you alone to do what is right.
For Chibi Usa's it's a mission of redemption, in the words of Coach from "Revenge of the Nerds": "Well if I was you, I'd do something about it, I would get up and redeem myself in the eyes of my father, my maker, my coach!" She admits to her failure that she let herself get weak, and she wants to save the Sailor Senchi as their her friends but also to restore her honor. And this once again gets at her desire to be a hero, and she learns if the hard way that it's not about having powers but the strength and courage to do what is right.
The conflict between Rubeus and Sailor Moon is solid, not a wall to wall battle but in a way it's more of a spiritual battle.
One scene and profound moment is when we see Rubeus use the black crystal gravity machine and its power against Sailor Moon to crush her down but also toy with her as she is getting her to kneel to him. But then we see Sailor Moon she stands up despite how much is pushing against her and even Rubeus's sick insults. It really shows the strength of Sailor Moon in character and spirit that she's a person who won't let anyone bend or break her. No matter how hard it gets, even if her body breaks down, her spirit never will.
We see Chibi Usa comes in to help on time to save Sailor Moon and the rest, she finds the power source and tries lifting it up. It of course has a defensive measure as it is shooting negative black moon energy on her body, but despite the pain doesn't give up as she knows she has to fight though it and lift that crystal if she wants to save everyone. In a way, the scene with her is sort of the "Sword and the Stone" principle where it was about strength of the spirit that lifted the sword, for the strength of the spirit is limitless. This is a test of Chibi Usa will, pain represents struggle no matter how painful it is, if you keep with it and never let yourself give up then the strength of your will can endure anything and accomplish great feats.
What's also interesting is you can say it wasn't so much just Sailor Moon and Chibi Usa that beat Rubeus. But Rubeus defeated himself, despite how powerful he was there were cracks in his ruby as the guy was arrogant, overly self-absorbed and obsessed with power and ego. This guy has no friends as they are nothing but tools to heighten his own shallow goals; let alone relationships of any kind as he terminated his chance of one with Koan. All this guy had was one big ship to run with all the black moon magic and toys to power it along with his ego. But neither of these things in the end gave him love, triumph nor did they even protect him and thanks to his egotism and antisocial behavior there is no one to save him.
Sailor Moon once again shows why she's a hero of worth, but also Chibi Usa has taken her first step on the right path to heroism, and it's the same path Sailor Moon walks on called bravery.
Rating: 4 stars.
