The cards may have gotten shuffled, but Sailor Moon is still as entertaining a game as ever.

While my heart still aches from the losses of both Zoisite (ZOISIIIIITE!) and Mamoru, I have to admit the series has managed to move into its next arc without skipping a beat. There’s an almost effortless chemistry among the Moonies nowadays, to the point where the creators pretty much just have to plunk them down in a story line and I know I’m going to enjoy whatever happens next. It also helps that we’ve been gradually developing a group of likable side characters, so if the story DOES need an extra spice, lovable dorks like Yuichirou Teddy are around to add to the mix.

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The Moon Princess has awakened, and everything is terrible.

You’d think that finding the Moon Princess, the Legendary Silver Crystal, AND regaining a whole bucket-load of memories would lead to some power-ups, knockout punches, and a few happy endings, but HAHA, NO, THIS IS ‘90S SHOUJO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, AND ‘90S SHOUJO RIPS OUT YOUR HEART AND TAP-DANCES ON THE LEFT VENTRICLE.

Turns out Sailor Moon is helmed by a bunch of sadistic bastards, so y’know that finish line we saw on the horizon? Yeah, it’s actually a mile farther back than we thought, and there’s a moat full of crocodiles between us and it. Angry, brainwashing, character-murdering crocodiles.

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Never mind hitting the fan – that just hit a whole freaking wind farm.

Boy, when Sailor Moon decides to focus on plot, it doesn’t mess around, does it? Not only did we finally meet Sailor V this week, but it turns out she’s the already-awakened (and quite well-informed) scout, Sailor Venus. She even has her own talking cat, Artemis, who despite being named after a Greek goddess appears to be the only male member of the main group. And he and Luna are already friends! (They better be friends, anyway. ‘Cause Luna/Rhett OTP, 5eva, y’all.)

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The creators have been doing a great impression of Oprah as of late. YOU get an episode, and YOU get an episode…!

…Ev-ery-bo-dy gets an episode!

I said during the last cour that Sailor Moon works better as an ensemble show, and this past (very, very good) stretch of episodes just keeps proving it. While Usagi isn’t always the most riveting main character, she’s a fabulous supporting actor, playing the roles of Cupid and Best Friend with a loveable blend of warmth and silliness. Plus, giving us time with the rest of the cast (Moonies and Muggles alike) expands the Mooniverse, opens the door for future story lines, and will make us care a whole lot more if/when Shit Gets Real with the Dark Kingdom.

Of course, SM’s episodes are only as good as the characters they follow, and so there’s bound to be some peaks and valleys. This week sees a little bit of both, although I didn’t DISlike either of them. I just happened to super-adore one and only kinda-like the other. Somehow I suspect you already know which is which, but just in case there was any doubt, the details are below. Brace yourselves for cuteness, and enjoy!

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Sailor Moon is learning that you can have your rice cakes and eat them too.

I’ve noticed that my recaps have gotten a lot longer since Zoisite showed up, and it’s not just because I’m enjoying the episodes more (although there is that). What’s happened, quite simply, is that there’s more to cover each episode, because SM has discovered B-plots.

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During a week badly in need of a little Moon Healing Escalation, Sailor Moon delivers two of its best–and warmest–episodes to date.

Given that Sailor Moon is both a superhero and coming-of-age story (as so many superhero stories are), it seems fitting that the focus of the show (outside of being crazy-awesome-fun-times) is on identity, and who people “really” are. I think these ideas have always been floating around the edges of the story, but it’s become more prominent with this arc, and especially with these episodes.

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Hey, look at that–I love this show again.

As anyone who’s been following these posts knows, I spent much of the last cour becoming progressively more annoyed at Nephrite, High Lord of Blandsylvania, and what often felt like stagnating character arcs and relationships. I didn’t HATE it (and there were some episodes I quite enjoyed), but I wasn’t having nearly as much fun as I’d had during the first cour.

Of course, then last week’s two-part Feelsplosion happened, throwing my emotions into all kinds of turmoil, because dammit if I didn’t feel bad for Naru and even a little for Nephy, boring old bastard that he was. I got so tangled up in the short-lived romance that I was actually pretty sad by the end of Episode 26, and had forgotten one vital fact: Nephrite wasn’t our bad guy anymore. Zoisite was, which meant the show was all but guaranteed to get fun again.

And boy, did it ever. This week SM burst from its cocoon like a lame Metapod transforming into a badass Butterfree, complete with a neat premise, a fabulous villain, ridiculous monsters, a shiny Lovely Item, and a rockin’ addition to the Sailor Squad. It’s campy, hilarious, and awesome, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

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In the interest of posting this on time (I had to pack last night and I’m taking a flight today), I’m going to skip the long recaps and just talk in broad strokes about this week’s two-part Nephrite Finale.

Ah-hem.

So.

What the SHIT, Sailor Moon?!

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So when do Zoisite and his boyfriend get to take over as the Bad Guys, exactly?

While there have been a few high points this arc, I noticed that I’ve enjoyed the last nine episodes quite a bit less than the first thirteen. There are some (pretty glaring) issues with the growing romance between Moonsagi and Tuxedo Mamoru that play into this, but I think the main problem here is that Nephertiti Nephrite is just so…

Well, if you’ve been reading my recaps (or if you read the ones in this post), you have a pretty good idea how I feel about him. I know Jadeite didn’t have much in the way of a personality, but his schemes were so elaborate (pet shops! amusement parks! buses to Hell!) that it made the story a lot more fun and the plots seem much less formulaic. I’d give Beryl’s right arm for a good old fashioned Love Boat of Death right about now.

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Yep. Sailor Moon definitely works better as an ensemble show.

Man, but I like this series so much more when it shifts the focus even just a little bit away from Usagi. When it comes to favorite episodes, they all seem to be the ones where she helps other people out (both episodes with her brother have been great), or the rare times when the show becomes a true ensemble, either balancing the screen time for the scouts equally or focusing on a different Moonie altogether. Usagi’s good qualities are easier to see when we aren’t also constantly seeing her falling down, crying, getting scared, or mooning over Tuxedo Mask. (And yes, pun intended. Pun ALWAYS intended.)

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