Sailor Moon Crystal: Act 20 - Crystal Tokyo, King Endymion - Review 

Sailor Moon Crystal: "Act 20 - Crystal Tokyo, King Endymion" Review

This week’s Sailor Moon: Crystal was dedicated almost entirely to story exposition, which was great because things are FINALLY starting to make sense.

We now know how everything in the 30th century ended up as a big pile of rubble (a giant explosion, plus a nefarious black crystal!), though we still don’t know how Chibiusa managed to survive this cataclysmic event. Or how the Black Moon Clan ties into it. What

clear is that whatever happened, it\'s gnawing away at Chibiusa\'s conscience.

Now, I don\'t much care for "Small Lady" (by her father\'s own admission she\'s spoiled and rude), but I could feel her internal struggle as King Endymion recounted the blast that took out all of Crystal Tokyo. Chibiusa clearly knows what really happened, but is too afraid to speak up. That makes me more sympathetic towards her. Especially since I remember what it was like to worry about getting yelled at by adults whenever I thought I\'d done something wrong as a kid. Of course, that sympathy may evaporate once I learn

 she\'s done; her confession to Pluto that she\'s "not honest" was rather...telling. So too was her determination to bring Sailor Moon to the future, which is beginning to look more like recompense than heroism.

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Speaking of Sailor Moon, I really liked how there were consequences to having multiple Usagis and Mamorus in the same era. Usagi nearly disappearing was a wonderful “Back to the Future” moment, and her inability to use Moon Princess Helation due to too many Silver Crystals in the same place made for a more nail-biting fight with Esmeraude. Having said that, it was kind of annoying that Mamoru and Usagi weren\'t affected by time travel later on. I mean, it\'s not like anything changed since the last time they visited the future.

The more agitating issue however, was Sailor Moon\'s jealousy over Chibiusa. You’d think Usagi would be a lot more secure in her relationship knowing that she and Mamoru will get married and have a kid someday. But, no. She continues to freak out about how much attention her boyfriend is showering...ON HIS DAUGHTER. Not only is Usagi’s behavior weird, it makes her look petty and insecure.

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In contrast, I love how Mamoru continues to evolve into a more reliable ally. Taking out Esmeraude with a double Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber was easily my favorite moment in Act 20, and his vow to protect Chibiusa no matter what shows he\'s turning into a real leader. It\'s a good thing too, because the Black Moon Clan has gotten a lot more aggressive.

Esmeraude strangling Chibiusa was pretty darn disturbing (the poor kid is like five years-old!), as was watching Prince Diamond kidnap Sailor Moon at the very end. Believe it or not though, I\'m actually enjoying their more aggressive tactics. It makes them feel like a legitimate threat, which in turn will make the Sailor Guardians final victory over them all the sweeter...that is, if the Guardians can survive all this time travel.

Before I wrap things up, I do want to take a quick moment to acknowledge the much improved art direction. I was aghast at the drop in animation quality last time, so it’s nice to see Toei get back on track with this episode. I especially liked the details on Pluto’s keys, the crystal around Neo Queen Serenity, and the little bell on Diana (who is the cutest kitty in the history of cute kitties!). I\'m keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no more dips in the animation quality, because that would really ruin things going into the final six episodes.

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Act 20 was good stuff, with some much-needed story exposition, better animation, and a good showing by Tuxedo Mask. I was disappointed in Usagi’s behavior, but overall it was a strong episode.

Tuxedo Mask smokes the competition and Sailor Moon has a "Back to the Future" moment.  RT

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