Episode Summary:
Usagi finds herself in the Moon Kingdom ruins and runs after Tuxedo Mask until she is awaken by Luna at home. Usagi wonders where he is. Luna guesses she doesn't care for her anymore. Usagi picks her up and hugs her. Luna figures Usagi has been through a lot, she tells her that she can talk to her about anything. Usagi bumps into Mamoru and her watch falls, the watch that belonged to Mamoru, it starts working. Usagi says it looks like him but it can't be him. Motoki and a guy named Endo bump into Mamoru. Mamoru hypnotizes Motoki into thinking he is Endo and to forget the other guy. Reiko, Motoki's girlfriend comes and meets "Endo," who Motoki introduces as his best friend. She drops a book about crystals that has the four--Kunzite, Jeadite, Zoisite and Nephrite.
The girls head over to Ami's apartment building, which Usagi is impressed with. Minako wonders if she looks suspicious holding the huge honking Legendary Sword. Ami has a big hard diamond and as a test, Minako smashes it with one little tap of the sword. Ami says the holy sword is poisonous, the Moon castle was turned into poisonous stone. Usagi is sleeping, they agree to let her sleep. Usagi awakes and everyone is gone. She said she saw the sunset when she awoke in Mamoru's apartment, she tears up. She spots the four plotting, she writes a note for them, she runs off to the Crown Arcade. She spots Mamoru there. Motoki greets her. She is shocked to find Endo. Endo acts like he doesn't know her. She calls him Mamo-Chan.
Motoki says he is his best friend Endo, he is part-timer. Endo says that she has hair like Sailor Moon. He wonders if she will teach him the Sailor V Game. Luna is watching and warns the others. They go there and know he is Mamoru, even though they thought he was in the Dark Kingdom. Rei says it can't be him, his eyes are different, that she has a bad feeling. She wants Usagi to stay away. Usagi is walking alone and Luna tells her that it is not Mamoru. Usagi says Luna always says no. Luna wonders if she is hurting her again. Endo and Usagi hang out and play the Sailor V game. Endo says he has met her too. Usagi says Sailor V is more dependable than she is. Endo asks, "More dependable than Sailor Moon?" Usagi is shocked. Endo wonders where the command center is. Usagi rushes off.
Endo tells her he wants to know more about her. He says his hypnotic suggestion didn't work. She wonders what to do, she runs off. She says Mamo-chan called her Usako. Makoto and Ami watch. They then spot Reiko, who says she belongs to the same club as Motoki but she doesn't know Endo. Reiko says she knows another Endo who was kind of feminine but haven't seen him lately. They never seen Endo before. Ami says Endo looks like someone they know. Endo tries to get in the Command Center, Mako confronts him. His eyes glow. Everyone else run to the command center and ask Mako what happened. Mako tells Usagi to stay away from Endo, he wants the crystal.
Usagi shows the crystal, the alarm goes off. Mako tries going for it, Rei stops her. Tuxedo Mask and Motoki appear, they wanted to get into the command center. He hypnotized Mako. Minako transforms first and followed by the others. Venus, Mercury and Mars do speeches. Venus throws her chain at Tuxedo. Motoki tries taking the crystal. Venus does the Venus Love-Me-Chain at Motoki. Venus gets the crystal but Tuxedo attacks her and takes her. Mercury does Aqua Mist but fails. Tuxedo gloats that he has it, Mars tries kicking it out of his hand and is knocked down. Moon wonders why everyone fights Tuxedo Mask. Luna tells her to fight. Sailor Moon can't phantom this. Luna says it is a fake Tuxedo Mask. Tuxedo tells Usagi to go with her. Luna says she let her down but she knows who she truly loves and she is her ally, she jumps on Tuxedo. Tuxedo knocks her down.
Usagi is finally convinced it is not him, by how cold he is to Luna. She transforms into Sailor Moon. Moon cries as she hugs Luna. The crystal glows. She gets the Moon Stick and does the Moon Healing Esclation and heals Mako, Motoki and Luna. She blasts at Tuxedo and Beryl appears. She now has the crystal. Moon asks how she can do such terrible things. Beryl says she is weak. She introduces herself as Queen Beryl. Beryl says she is no longer the same person. She wants Endymion to kill Usagi. Usagi wonders if he is Mamoru. To Be Continued...
Episode Review:
I almost cried at the Luna scene. People are complaining of the animation but I see no problem with it. I did like the inclusion of Reiko. And this is following my favorite story of the Manga, of Endo. It was a great episode, very nicely paced and had the right amount of surprise and suspense. I know I was a naysayer of the series but I now have come to appreciate its nuisances. Next time it looks like Beryl and ENdymion fight Moon and she has no choice. The next ep is called Queen Metaria.